Dream Drop Memories Revised
by animechick247
Summary: *Revised!* With Xehanort plotting his next move, Hikari, Riku and Sora must take the Mark of Mastery exam to prove they have what it takes to stop him. However, Hikari gets more than what she bargained for when a mysterious figure keeps following her and Lumen keeps popping up in her dreams. How is a girl supposed to save everyone when so many obstacles keeping getting in her way?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Ready or Not Here We Come

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to Dream Drop Memories! I know this series has had a few issues lately but I wanted to at least give it one more chance. I know there's a lot of readers who enjoyed this series and I felt like I was being unfair with what I said last time so I'm giving it one more shot for you guys! And with what I've seen in the Kingdom Hearts 3 trailers, I felt like I really do need to finish off this series because who knows what's gonna happen at the end of this. **

**So sit back and enjoy this new version of Dream Drop Memories!**

**And as always, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

A king's life was never easy. When one task was completed, another one would make itself known. Such is the fate that was placed before King Mickey.

After the fall of Organization XIII, the King found himself with more loose links than he originally thought he had-or rather loose pages. It seemed that the journals Jiminy Cricket used to chronicle Sora and Hikari's journey carried more than just his words-they carried another's. After decoding the clues that the journal left, the King realized that he found a clue that would help him with a task he had going on for a long time…fourteen years to be exact.

With this new information in hand, he quickly rushed to his old mentor, Yen Sid to tell him what he had learned.

/

The old wizard looked at the journal Mickey decoded and read the once sentence that started this search.

**Their hurting will mend when you return to end it. **

There was no doubt in the wizard's mind who those harmed souls were. Even after fourteen years it still pained Yen Sid that Xehanort would stoop so low as to destroy four innocent souls for his ambitions.

Terra, Aqua, Ven and Lumen were four innocent children that got caught up in Xehanort's web of darkness and destruction. Each suffered a painful fate and each soul was left in pieces. All this time Mickey and Yen Sid wondered where they were and how they could save them. It seemed now that they had a lead.

"Yen Sid, I think we're finally close to figuring out where Ven's heart is" Mickey said.

Yen Sid rubbed his chin in thought. Ventus's fate was rather complex. While Aqua was trapped within the Realm of Darkness and Terra's soul was stuck within the Keyblade Graveyard, Ven's whereabouts were unknown. And of course, there was Lumen whose fate was probably the saddest of the four.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Then that leaves only Terra and Lumen"

Mickey nodded eagerly, knowing that they were getting closer to finding their lost friends.

"Right, we've got to save all four of them" he said.

"And this one clue that I found in the journal might lead us to them"

He turned the page that contained the clue to how they would rescue them. Yen Sid looked at the page and felt the air leave his lungs.

**Her slumbering will cease when you bring her back together.**

Yen Sid closed his eyes gravely. After Terra lost his body to Xehanort, Lumen went after him, hoping to save the man she loved. Sadly, Xehanort got the best of her and nearly managed to steal her heart. Knowing what he planned to do with it, Lumen made the ultimate sacrifice and shattered her heart into pieces and hid them within four other hearts before she went into a deep slumber.

The whereabouts of her body and heart were a mystery to Mickey and Yen Sid…that is until now.

"Do you think it's talking about Lumen?" Mickey asked.

Yen Sid nodded as he clasped his fingers together.

"There is no doubt in my mind that tells me it is her" he said.

"It seemed Lumen was very meticulous about her demise. Knowing her fate, she must have made sure that in order to save her we needed to save those three as well"

Mickey tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Yen Sid closed his eyes, thinking of the complex situation Lumen put herself through.

"Much like Ventus's situation, in order for him to awaken he must have his heart returned" he explained.

"In Lumen's case she needs all of the pieces of her heart returned to her if she is to ever awaken. Finding those pieces would be complicated if you don't know where they're hiding. However, knowing Lumen, she placed them within hearts that need to be found"

Mickey's eyes widen in realization.

"You don't mean- "

Yen Sid nodded.

"Yes, Lumen hid her heart within Terra, Aqua and Ven. She knew they needed to be found so in order to save her we have to save them first"

Mickey started to put the pieces together as his mentor spoke.

"And if we look for Lumen's heart, then that will lead us to Ven's as well!"

Yen Sid nodded. With the way Lumen set this up, they would be killing two birds with one stone.

"Correct. All the hearts are linked to one another. If we find one piece of Lumen's heart it'll lead us to the others"

Mickey's face fell realizing that they didn't have part of Lumen's heart. Without one of the pieces, there was no way for them to find Terra, Aqua or Ven. Just when they got one step closer to saving them, it brought them one step back from making it happen.

"How do we accomplish that when we don't have a piece that will lead us?" he asked.

Yen Sid rubbed his beard in thought. That was a problem indeed, however…

"Perhaps that piece has been within our grasps this whole time? Being right under our noses without us ever realizing that it was there" he muttered.

Mickey looked at his mentor in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Yen Sid ignored him, pondering over something else that was bothering him for some time. Back to when Xehanort let his plans unfold.

"The question that ponders me is this: does Xehanort know of this as well?"

Mickey jumped a little at the mention of that name. Why would he be involved when he was gone?

"Xehanort? But his two halves are gone" he insisted.

"There was Ansem, who commanded the Heartless…and Xemnas, who commanded the Nobodies. Didn't Sora and Hikari defeat them both?"

"Correct, those two met their end" Yen Sid said.

"However, therein lies the problem. Their destruction now guarantees the original Xehanort's reconstruction"

Mickey paled a little, not liking where this was going.

"How can that be?" he asked.

Yen Sid looked at his student gravely. Even though he had learned so much since being an apprentice, there was still much he had to learn.

"Xehanort's heart, once seized by his heartless half, is now free. And his body, which had become his Nobody, has been vanquished" he explained.

"Both halves will now return to the whole. In short…this means Master Xehanort will return"

Mickey's heart stopped within his chest. The thought of that mad man returning made him shiver. He made so many people suffer the last time he tried to gain power over Kingdom Hearts.

"And you think…you think maybe he's going to try something?"

Yen Sid nodded, already knowing that Xehanort was up to something despite not physically being there.

"A man like Xehanort will have left many roads open" he said.

"And I'm sure one of those paths lead to finding Lumen's location"

Mickey shook his head. He wasn't able to save those four in the past, but he would not let Xehanort find them. And he wasn't alone this time either.

"Well, it doesn't matter what he cooks up!" he said.

"Me, Sora, and Hikari, we'll be ready-and Riku too!"

Yen Sid smirked a little thinking of those three. Despite being thrown into this mess, they proved that they could handle it and were willing to keep the worlds safe.

However, that wasn't enough.

"Yes, they are indeed strong. But…not true Keyblade Masters, like you" he reasoned.

He looked at his student seriously.

"Tell me…would a single one of you suffice if what you faced was not a single one of him"

Mickey looked at his mentor in confusion. More than one Xehanort?

"What do you mean?"

Yen Sid ignored him as he stood up. He already had an idea of how to deal with Xehanort and to see if he could find that one piece of Lumen's heart that was within their grasp. It was a risky gamble, but time was running out.

"Mickey, please summon Sora and Hikari hither. Riku as well" he ordered.

Mickey looked at Yen Sid, wondering why he suddenly wanted them here.

"Of course, but…why?"

Yen Sid looked at him gravely.

"To show us the Mark of Mastery"

/

_Hikari looked around to see herself within a crystal cave. It looked familiar and yet at the same time it didn't._

"_Where am I? This place almost looks like the outer areas of Radiant Garden" she said to herself._

_Despite not knowing where she was, she felt like she knew where to go. Taking one step after another she walked deeper within the cave, the crystals acting like little natural lights. _

_The whole cave gave off this sad, lonely vibe as if there was a soul trapped within its walls. _

_As she walked, she could have sworn she heard someone calling out to her._

'_Help me, Hikari. You have to help me'_

_Fearing that someone was in trouble, she started sprinting, trying to find the owner of the voice._

"_Where are you? What's wrong?"_

_As she kept running she heard the voice calling to her over and over again._

'_You have to help me, Hikari"_

_She kept running until she finally made it to chamber deep within the cave. The whole room was filled with crystals, making the area glow with its natural light. _

_However, that wasn't the only thing that was within the chamber. Standing near one of the bigger chunks of crystals was someone Hikari knew-someone who made her into what she was today._

_Lumen wore a sad look upon her face as a tear rolled down her face. _

"_You have to help me save them, Hikari. You're the only one who can find them" she said._

_Hikari took a step back, shocked by what she was seeing._

"_W-what are you talking about? Who do you want me to find?" _

_Lumen didn't answer her. Instead, she held her hand out and had chains made of light spring out from her. The chains flew forward and went into Hikari's heart. The keyblade mistress looked in alarm as she saw chains coming out of her chest._

"_What are you doing to me?! Let me go!"_

_Lumen lowered her hand, looking at the ring sadly that was resting on her finger._

"_It has to be you, Hikari" she said._

"_Please end our suffering"_

/

"AHHHHH!"

Hikari jumped from her seat and breathed heavily. Patting her chest, she was relived to feel that there were no chains protruding from her. However, she still felt them as if they were still there.

Sora and Riku looked at her worriedly as she tried to regain her breath.

"You okay, Hikari?" Sora asked.

Hikari gave him a weak smile and nodded.

"Just a crazy dream" she insisted.

Sora made a face before sitting back in his seat. They were currently on their way to see Yen Sid at the request of the King.

Hikari sighed as she slumped in her seat. That dream was weird yet intense at the same time. She knew who that woman was in the cave. It was a very long time since she saw that face, but she would never forget it. She had only met Lumen once long ago as a child, but that one encounter changed her fate forever. Having decided she found a worthy successor, Lumen performed the Keyblade ceremony with Hikari, and granted her the powers to use the Keyblade. It was thanks to that one meeting that she was able to be who she was today.

She never saw Lumen after that day, and yet she felt like she did somehow.

That dream however felt anything but one. She knew she had never been inside a cave full of crystals, but it felt like had. That chamber felt familiar, the pathway felt like she had walked down there, she could recall what certain colors the crystals looked. Why did it seem so familiar to her?

Better yet, what did Lumen want from her? She said she needed to help her find the others, but who were these other ones?

She was pulled out of her musings when she felt Riku's hand on her shoulder. The poor boy looked worried as he saw his girlfriend's troubled expression.

"You okay?" he asked.

Hikari smiled weakly.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream…or at least I think it was"

Riku looked at her sadly before he pulled her close.

"Think it was one of your memories?"

Hikari shook her head and she nuzzled closer to him.

"I don't think so. It didn't feel like a memory, but I felt like I knew about it"

"Wonder if its caused by stress over what King Mickey told us"

Riku flinched a little.

Mickey had sent them a letter explaining that Xehanort might have returned and that he needed them to see Yen Sid urgently. Just the thought of that wretched man returning made his skin crawl. That evil wretched man scared their hearts and almost destroyed their lives. He almost made Riku one of his vessels while he tried to take Hikari's and Kairi's hearts to open the Door to Darkness. It was one of the reasons why Riku cut his hair short, he wanted a fresh start in life and wanted to sever his past regarding Xehanort.

Hikari sighed as she looked at the ground. Mickey had mentioned that Xehanort had caused a lot of harm on the ones called Terra, Aqua, Ven and Lumen. Just thinking that Lumen was one of Xehanort's countless victims in his quest made her heart ache.

Just how many more lives did that man intend to ruin?

She as well as Sora and Riku weren't going to let that happen, which is why they accepted the King and Yen Sid's invitation to become Keyblade Masters. She didn't know what these Mark of Mastery exams would accomplish but she hoped it would help them stop Xehanort once and for all.

"Do you think these exams will really help us stop Xehanort from coming back?" she asked.

Riku looked at her before he shrugged.

"I can't say" he said.

"I don't think taking these exams will prevent his return, but I'm sure they'll give us a better chance at defeating him"

Hikari fiddled with her pendant nervously.

"I'm kind of nervous about these exams. None of us have ever faced anything like this before"

Sora looked at her with a hopeful grin.

"What's to be nervous about? We've beaten this guy twice already, I'm sure the third time will be the charm. And think about it! We'll be actual Keyblade Masters!"

Riku nodded reassuringly.

"Sora's right, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. And if anything, bad happens, you'll have a Keyblade Master to protect you"

Hikari smiled softly and cupped his face.

"I think I'd rather have my boyfriend protect me than a Keyblade Master" she teased.

Riku smiled and placed his hand over hers.

"Hey! Don't get all lovey dovey back there! We're almost there!" Donald called out.

Hikari laughed and dropped her hand.

"Sorry, Donald"

She looked out the Gummi Ship window to see the stars pass by.

'_That dream…I wonder if it has something to do with Xehanort?' _she thought.

'_What are you trying to tell me, Lumen?'_

/

The sight of the Mysterious Tower was rather surreal for Hikari. She came here to begin her last adventure and she was here now to begin another.

'_Least I won't have to get a new outfit this time' _she thought.

Sora was busy chatting away with Donald and Goofy while they walked up to the tower, which left Riku and Hikari to walk together in the back.

"Too bad mom couldn't come with us to see us take the exams" Hikari said.

"I heard the Mickey wanted her and Tsukiko to go to Disney Castle to help the Queen with something" he said.

"And because knowing her, she would have wanted to jump in and help us pass, so it's probably best that she isn't here"

Hikari laughed at that, knowing it was true.

Everyone nearly made it to the top of the tower when Riku suddenly stopped, grabbing Hikari's arm in the process. Hikari looked at her boyfriend, wondering what was wrong.

"Riku?"

Riku looked at her and gave her hand a squeeze.

"You know I won't let anything bad happen to you, right?"

Hikari tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh?"

Riku just gave her a gentle look as he cupped her face.

"I know you're worried about what's happening and how we're going to deal with Xehanort. You've been nervous ever since we got that letter"

Hikari gave him a weak smile, trying to mask her emotions. She was nervous about all of this. Sure, her last two adventures were nerve wrecking…but something about the King's letter put her on edge…almost as if something bad was about to happen. And that dream she had of Lumen couldn't be a coincidence either. These two had to be connected somehow. She really couldn't say though because she had no idea how they were connected and because she didn't want to make Sora or Riku worried. Why waste time worrying on something when you didn't know what it was, right?

"I'm fine, Riku. I'm just overwhelmed" She said.

Riku just gave her a pointed look.

"Come on, you may be able to trick Sora but I'm smarter than him. What's really going on in your head?'

Hikari sighed in defeat. Of course, Riku could see through her poker face.

"It's just...we just defeated Organization XIII, but by doing that it caused Xehanort's return"

She sat down on one of the steps, feeling as if the weight of Mickey's words were finally weighing down on her.

"It's like everything we did to keep the worlds safe just had the opposite effect I think we might have made things worse"

"But if we didn't stop Xemnas and the Organization from taking over Kingdom Hearts, think of how many lives would have been ruined because of them" Riku reasoned as he took a seat next to her.

Hikari looked at him sadly. It seemed that he didn't sense the warning signs that she was feeling.

"But…something about these exams just feels off" she said.

"And that dream I had earlier, it's connected somehow. I just get this feeling like something really bad it about to happen and I don't know how to prevent it from happening. We're not just going up against Heartless and Nobodies this time…we're going after the man who started it all"

Hikari's hand shook slightly in fear. She had never felt like this on her last journeys but maybe they were all starting to catch up to her…or maybe it was because someone was afraid of Xehanort.

Riku looked at Hikari sadly. He didn't blame her for being nervous about Xehanort when the man pretty much destroyed Hikari and Taiyouko's lives. A man like Xehanort didn't care about anyone or anything.

"Hey, look at me" he said gently.

He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers.

"It's gonna be okay" he said.

"I'm nervous about all of this too and I'm wondering how we're gonna tackle this. But you know what? We're not alone in this. With you, Sora and I together, we'll be able to handle this. And I promise you that I will never let anything bad happen to you. As long as we're together, everything will be alright"

Hikari closed her eyes, basking in the sound of Riku's voice. He was right, she could do this. She traveled to different worlds and protected them from the Heartless, she survived having her heart taken from her, she defeated not only Xehanort's Heartless but his Nobody as well.

She could do this.

Smiling, she placed her hands over Riku's.

"You're right, we'll be okay. We stopped him before and we can do it again" she said.

"And if we don't do anything now, who will help those four that Mickey mentioned?"

Riku smiled and kissed her on the lips.

"I love you, and that will never change no matter what. Whenever you feel nervous just remember that"

Hikari blushed a little; she still felt giddy whenever Riku told her he loved her.

"I love you too. I did travel to different worlds to be with you again" she teased.

Riku chuckled and stood up, offering her his hand.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? That test won't take itself you know"

Hikari nodded and grabbed his hand.

"Yeah, let's go. Oh, and before I forget"

She took of her pendant and placed around Riku's neck.

"This helped you out a lot on your last journey. I want you to have that help again for this as well"

Riku touched her lucky charm and smiled. He never realized how much it meant to him until now. It symbolized the bond they shared and that no matter how far away they were from each other, it would always bring them back together.

"I don't know how much help I'll need with this exam, but I'll take all the help I can get"

Hikari smile smiled and held his hand. Even if for some reason they were separated again by something, they would always find their way back to each other thanks to that pendant.

With that, they climbed up the rest of the steps that would lead them to the next portion of their journey.

/

The three keyblade wilders stood before Yen Sid. Knowing that they were about to face would be no walk in the park, they listened to the wizard's words like they were sacred.

"As a Keyblade Master, Xehanort had a gift like few others" the wizard began.

"But such great minds are often plagued by a single great question. What is the essence of the human heart that weakens us, or empowers us? The answer, he believed, would be found in the 'Keyblade War'. What if the challenges of our past were in fact, a map to the light and darkness that battle within us all"

Hikari secretly grabbed Riku's hand, knowing all too well what that feeling was like. Seeing Riku nearly succumb to the darkness nearly drove her mad. It was thanks to Sora not giving up on him and her love for him that helped her go forward and save him. It seemed Xehanort was unfortunate to not have someone there for him when he went too far.

"Xehanort had to know, so he renounced his duties as Master and chose the Seeker's life. Since then, in many a guise, he has clashed with protectors of the light-Keyblade Wielders like yourselves. And mark my words-he will trouble us yet again"

Mickey looked away sadly thinking of Terra, Aqua, Ven and Lumen. He failed to save them from Xehanort, but he would throw his life away if it meant Sora, Riku and Hikari wouldn't have to share a similar fate.

"We must be ready" Yen Sid said.

"Which is why you, Sora, Riku and Hikari, are to be tested for the Mark of a true Keyblade Master"

He smirked slightly seeing the protesting look on Sora's face and the questionable one on Hikari's.

"No doubt you fancy yourselves master's already, but it takes years of training. Only a true Master can teach you the proper way" he explained.

"The three of you are self-taught Keyblade wielders-an impressive feat. However, the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions, forget what you know about the Keyblade, and begin your training with a clean slate"

Sora laughed nervously, not liking the idea of starting from scratch. They worked really hard to get where they were now, why did they have to toss that away?

"But that's a formality right" He asked.

"We already proved ourselves. Me, Hikari, the King, and Riku-we can take on anything"

He looked at Riku to support his claim.

"Right, Riku?"

Riku looked at the ground, not liking the attention.

"I don't know" he said.

He summoned his keyblade which showed traits of it being connected to the darkness.

"I think in my heart, darkness still has a hold" he said.

"Walking that path changed me. I'm not sure I'm ready to wield a keyblade. Maybe I do need to be tested"

Hikari looked at him sadly. It seemed despite what he said earlier, he was having doubts about this as well. Even after everything they did, he still couldn't forgive himself for the sins he committed.

"Riku…."

She closed her eyes before looking at Yen Sid. It seemed now her mind was made up about the exam. It Riku was going to support her taking the exam, then she would do the same for him.

"Then count me in as well. Put me through the test" she declared.

Sora nodded, feeling eager to take it and prove how strong he became.

"Just watch-me, Riku and Hikari will pass with flying colors!"

Hikari smiled at Sora's enthusiasm. It was moments such as these that it was needed to calm everyone's nerves.

Yen Sid nodded in acknowledgement.

"Very well then. Sora, Riku, and Hikari-let your examination begin"

Hikari gripped Sora and Riku's hands when the exam began, and everything turned black.

'_Ready or not, here we come'_

/

**A/N: woo wee now that was intense. Wonder why Hikari was dreaming about Lumen? Is she trying to tell something to our favorite keyblade wielder? And what about that journal entry Mickey showed to Yen Sid? Lots of questions that need lots of answers.**

**Please tell me what you think! **

**Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Traverse Town: Hikari's Side

**A/N: Yay! Hikari's adventure has begun! She's starting off in a world she's familiar with so that's a great way to start this exam…right? Let's see what Traverse Town has in store for her!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my OC's. **

**Enjoy!**

/

When Hikari came to, she realized she was laying down on a cobble road. Groaning, she slowly got up, taking in her surroundings. She realized right away that she was in Traverse Town-the very first world she traveled to on her journeys.

"Huh? This is….Traverse Town. Why did I end up here?"

When she noticed how unusually quiet it was, she realized she was by herself with no sight of Sora or Riku.

She panicked when she didn't see them. They were with her when the exam began so where were they? Looking around the district, she tried to spot her friend and boyfriend.

"Sora! Riku!"

When she got no response, she sighed and rubbed her neck.

'_Maybe they're in a different section of the town' _she thought.

She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head at her predicament.

"Well, I'm not going to find them by just standing here" she said to herself.

"Plus, knowing Sora, he'll get lost in this maze of a town and I'm not sure how well Riku knows this place"

With that in mind, she went to go help her poor male keyblade companions.

/

It didn't take Hikari long to realize that Traverse Town was a lot different than when she was last here. While the first three districts were the same, she noticed that there were larger, over the top looking districts as well.

"Wonder if they expanded the town while I was gone?"

She kept a watchful eye on her new surroundings-new locations meant new enemies. She hadn't run into any Heartless yet since she woke up, but she didn't want to let her guard down.

As she continued to search for Sora and Riku, she started to worry. Surely, she would have ran into them by now, so, where were they?

She saw someone up ahead and decided to ask around. If looking by herself wasn't working, then asking for help might.

Walking up to the person, she saw a little girl talking to a moogle.

"Um, excuse me, but have you seen two boys that go by the name Sora or Riku?"

The girl turned to her, then looked to the sky in thought.

"Ummm…. sorry, I'm not sure" she said.

"All I know is that my name is Rhyme"

Hikari tilted her head in curiosity.

"You mean you lost your memory?" she asked.

Rhyme nodded, acting like it was no big deal. Hikari frowned sadly knowing all too well what Rhyme was going through. Not too long ago she had lost her memories of her childhood. It was thanks to her travels and her special abilities that she was able to regain them again.

"I'm so sorry. I had the same problem when I was younger" she said.

Rhyme just smiled and waved her off.

"Aw, it's no big deal. You know what they say- 'sometimes memories just need a little help getting out'"

Hikari couldn't help but smile. It was reassuring to see Rhyme be so positive about her predicament.

"That's the spirit. I'm sure you'll remember them in no time" she encouraged.

Rhyme smiled happily.

"I know I will" she said.

"Hey, would you like me to help you find your friends? Maybe that can help me remember something and it will be better to have two set of eyes looking for something instead of one"

Hikari seemed hesitant. She didn't want to drag a child into something that might be dangerous.

"Are you sure?"

Rhyme nodded.

"I don't mind. Besides, I'm sure your friends are worried about you. I know I would be if I was in their place"

Hikari smiled a little, knowing Rhyme was right. She could already picture Riku freaking out because he couldn't find her and Sora panicking knowing that if Riku knew he lost her, he would kill him.

Offering the girl her hand, she decided to continue her search with her new friend.

"Alright then, let's go!"

With that, Hikari continued her search with the help of Rhyme.

/

Figuring that they wouldn't be in the larger districts, the girls decided to head back towards the first district and work from there. Hikari found it amusing how Rhyme would ask questions about random things, hoping it would trigger a memory.

"So how did you end up in Traverse Town?" Rhyme asked.

Hikari laughed nervously, wondering what to say to Rhyme. She didn't think it was a good idea to say she was training to stop a crazy mad man from plunging the worlds into darkness. So, she decided to be vague with her answer.

"I'm…taking a test" she said lamely.

"A test?" Rhyme repeated.

Hikari nodded.

"It's to see if I have what it takes to face these difficult challenges I'll face in the future. Right now, I'm not strong enough to face them, so that's why I'm taking this test with my friends, Sora and Riku" she explained.

"But when I woke up, they weren't here with me, so I need to find them to make sure they're ok"

Rhyme mulled over Hikari's words, trying to figure out the Keyblade wielder's situation.

"If this is a test to prove your strength, then maybe your friends aren't here with you because you need to tackle this alone. You can't figure out your own strength when there are others with you. You need to do that on your own"

Rhyme's words made Hikari stop in her tracks. She hadn't realized that when Yen Sid placed them within the exam, he would separate them all, so they could take it themselves.

This was a little nerve wrecking to her. Since she acquired the Keyblade, she was always with someone be it Sora, Donald or Goofy. She never fought anyone on her own.

"That never occurred to me…how can I take this test all on my own?"

It seemed luck wasn't on her side at the moment when suddenly dark looking animals appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh no! Dream Eaters!" Rhyme cried.

Hikari quickly picked her up and hid her somewhere safe where the Dream Eaters wouldn't get her.

"Stay here until the coast is clear, ok?"

Rhyme nodded and shuffled closer into her hiding spot while Hikari ran back to the Dream Eaters, summoning her Keyblade as she did so.

"You're not laying a hand on that girl's head, you hear me?"

The Dream Eaters attacked her anyway. Fighting by herself, Hikari realized that her physical skills lacked greatly. Since she was always teamed up with Sora and the gang, she would rely on magic with Donald while Sora and Goofy would fend the enemy off with their physical attacks. It seemed this exam was showing what Hikari needed to improve on if she wanted to become a master.

She was able to hold her own for quite a bit before a Kooma Panda did a sneak attack and pinned her to the ground. Her Keyblade fell out of her hands, skidding across the cobbled ground. She groaned as she tried to get out from underneath the creature.

"Why does something so cute have to be so heavy?" she groaned.

The panda raised its giant paw, ready to hit her in the head and knock her out. Just as it was about to collided with her head, a high-pitched shrieking noise filled the air before a yellow ball of fluff zipped by and hit the panda in the face.

The Kooma Panda flew from the impact, causing Hikari to go free. She didn't waste any time as she quickly grabbed her Keyblade and went to see what saved her from getting knocked out. Funny enough, it was a little bat creature who was in the middle of swatting the Panda's face with its wings.

Knowing her target was distracted, she went for the finishing blow and vanquished the Dream Eater.

Seeing it was safe again, Rhyme came out of her hiding spot and went over to Hikari.

"That was pretty cool how you took out all of those Dream Eaters like that" she said.

Hikari laughed nervously as she rubbed her neck.

"Eh, this just showed how rusty I've gotten" she said.

"Plus, I got help from this little guy too"

Upon better inspection, Hikari saw that the bat was in fact a Dream Eater as well. However, unlike the ones that were attacking her before this one had blue eyes while the others had red.

The little Koomary Bat squeaked and squealed as it hovered near Hikari. The keyblade wielder smiled, seeing how cute it was.

"So, these things are called Dream Eaters?" she asked.

Rhyme nodded.

"Yeah, these guys are really helpful against the bad ones" she said.

"The trick is to control them though. Once you become their master, then they'll you get out of sticky situations"

Hikari looked at the little bat and suddenly remembered that Yen Sid mentioned about them before their exam began. Apparently, it would take a long time to have this exam in the 'real' world so Yen Sid used his magic to place them in what he called the 'dream worlds'. Apparently when the worlds were plunged into darkness some of them were placed in a sleeping state. They weren't in the darkness and yet at the same time they were in the light either, they were basically stuck in limbo. And because of that the Heartless and Nobodies couldn't access these worlds since they were basically 'dreams'. So, to get access to these dream worlds they made dreamed versions of themselves, which was of course the Dream Eaters.

But like any dream there are two sides to them: Nightmares that feed on the negative dreams in people's hearts and Spirits who feed on the Nightmares, almost as if they were living Dream Catchers. Depending on what kind of Dream Eaters they faced, they would have to destroy the Nightmares, making sure they didn't prey on the innocent like the Heartless and Nobodies did, or tame the Spirit ones, hoping they were willing to lend their strength get rid of the Nightmares.

Either way, it seemed like Hikari was going to get help in this exam, just not the help she was expecting.

She studied the Spirit Dream Eater that was before her. It seemed that it wanted to help her fight against the Nightmares.

"So, these guys will help me out?"

Rhyme nodded.

"Yep, that's what they're here for"

Hikari looked at the bat and offered her hand.

"What do you say little guy? Care to join us?"

The bat squealed and flew into her. Hikari laughed when it wrapped its wings around her and nuzzled her face.

"I'll take that as a yes then" she teased.

The bat let her go and flew around her happily.

"Wonder if Sora and Riku have one of these critters with them?" she wondered.

"Only way to know is if we find them" Rhyme said.

Hikari nodded. Just because she had to take her exam on her own didn't mean it stopped her from looking for her friends.

"Right, let's get going"

They continued with their new little Dream Eater friend to the next district.

/

It seemed that once Hikari gained a Dream Eater, more Nightmares appeared. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it gave her a chance to work on her attacking skills.

"There seem to be no end to these things" she said.

"But at least your Dream Eater friend is helping" Rhyme pointed out.

Despite being small, the little bat was efficient when it came to attacking enemies. It would keep the Nightmares distracted long enough for Hikari to strike them down.

"You should probably name it, so it'll obey you when you need its help" Rhyme suggested.

Hikari looked at the bat in front of her, wondering what would be the perfect name for such a little thing. She noticed it was rather unique looking compared to the other Dream Eaters. While most of them had red or yellow eyes, this one had light blue eyes. Not only that, but its head was a light yellow while its wings were different shades of blue.

The color scheme reminded her of the one person who was most precious to her.

"Riki" she said.

She smiled at the bat sweetly.

"From now on, I'll call you Riki Bat"

The bat chirped before nuzzling Hikari's face. Hikari giggled and cuddled the creature close.

Rhyme smiled at the scene, but it soon faded when she sensed someone. Hikari sensed it too and turned to see a figure wearing an Organization XIII coat.

Panicking, she summoned her Keyblade and pushed Rhyme behind her. She didn't know who this mysterious figure was, but now wasn't the time to figure that out.

"Rhyme, run!" she ordered.

She charged at the mysterious figure when suddenly she felt her body become heavy. Dropping her keyblade, she held her head when she felt dizzy and her vision go blurry.

"Huh? Why…am I…so sleepy?"

Her body caved in and collapsed to the ground.

Through her hazy vision, she saw the mysterious figure slowly approach her.

"Sora…Riku…." She said quietly.

The last thing she saw was the mysterious figure reaching towards her.

/

_Once again Hikari found herself within the crystal cave. Looking around she noticed that she was in a different part of the cave with no sight of Lumen. _

"_Where did she go?"_

_Looking at her chest, she saw the chain was protruding from it. Picking up the mysterious object, she noticed the chain leading a trail to one of the many openings within the cave as if leading a path. _

"_Wonder what this leads to?"_

_Following the chain, she went further and further into the cave. These chains seemed familiar somehow, yet she didn't know where she saw them. As she went further into the cave, she noticed the trail lead her into another cavern where large crystals littered the whole area. She could see her reflection bounce off each one of its smooth surface, acting like a mirror in a way. _

_When Hikari looked at herself in one of the crystals closest to her, her image changed into Lumen's. Hikari jumped back when she saw her, wondering where she came from. _

"_Why are you doing this? What do you want?"_

_Lumen didn't say anything, instead she pointed towards the larger crystals that were before Hikari. Hesitantly, Hikari went up to them, wondering what Lumen wanted her to see. As she got closer, the crystals came to life, glowing brightly with light. _

_When Hikari looked closer, she noticed that she could see images coming off the crystal, almost as if they were projections. She watched as a little video of Lumen came to life. She was sitting on the ledge looking at the starry sky with three other companions beside her. She had never met these people but Hikari knew their names as if she knew them all her life._

_Terra, Aqua and Ven._

_The four of them looked happy as they chatted away and stared up at the sky. At one pointed Aqua pulled out a set of lucky charms and handed them out to each one of them. The four of them held them up, showing that they were connected and would always be together. _

_It image soon blurred before fading away into darkness. Lumen appeared before the crystal, holding her lucky charm within her hand. She sadly stared at the gift Aqua made for her before covering it with her fingers. _

"_You have to help me save them, Hikari" she said._

_She looked at the young Keyblade wielder sadly._

"_I can't see them suffer anymore. I need your help to set them free"_

_Before Hikari could say anything, the light from the crystals faded, turning everything into darkness._

/

"Terra…Aqua…Ven…." Hikari mumbled.

She remembered who those three were. They were the ones that Yen Sid and Mickey mentioned. They were Lumen's closest friends. Seeing the four of them talking together and watching the stars reminded her of when she would watch the sunset with Sora, Riku and Kairi.

Even when they were suffering, their bond still held them together.

Groaning, she slowly woke up, trying to figure out why she passed out so suddenly.

"What happened?" she asked herself.

She looked around to see that she was alone. She suddenly remembered that Rhyme was with her before she passed out and that there was a mysterious figure in an Organization coat following them.

"Where did he go? Where's Rhyme? Did he capture her?"

She quickly got to her feet and looked around the area.

"I have to find her!"

Riki bat appeared before her, fluttering around quickly to gain her attention. The bat motioned towards the next district as if wanting Hikari to follow it.

"Riki Bat, do you know where Rhyme is?"

The bat nodded and flew ahead to show her the way. Hikari quickly followed the Dream Eater so she could save her young friend.

"Hang on, Rhyme. I'm coming!"

The bizarre duo ran through the maze that made up Traverse Town, hoping that nothing happened to their young friend.

/

When they made it to the Fifth District, Riku Bat lead Hikari to a giant greenhouse that made the focus point of the district. Running up to the roof, Hikari spotted Rhyme standing near the edge of the greenhouse.

"Rhyme!"

She quickly dashed over across the glass roof, being mindful of how much weight she put into each step.

"Thank goodness you're okay! Did that man in the black coat do anything to you?"

Rhyme slowly turned around, only to transform into the mysterious figure. Hikari skidded to a stop and summoned her Keyblade.

"You again! What did you do to Rhyme?!"

They mysterious figure lifted its hand and summoned a Hockomonkey Nightmare. Hikari backed away at the size of it. The monkey roared, slamming its fists together to show it wanted to fight.

Hikari shook her head in fear.

"There's no way I can defeat this thing on my own" she said.

Now she really wished that she didn't take these exams. She wasn't a strong fighter by herself. The only reason she ever won battles was because she had Sora, Donald and Goofy helping her out. Without them, she was nothing.

"I can't do this. I can't defeat this thing by myself"

She went to run but stopped when she recalled the dream she had of Lumen. She kept saying that it was up to her to save her friends and she was the only one who could do it. They were waiting for such a long time, hoping and praying that someone would hear their cries of help. Hoping that someone would stop Xehanort, so he would never harm another soul like he did them.

Hikari gripped her Keyblade tightly to the point that her knuckles turned white. Yen Sid had told her that she, Sora and Riku were the only ones who could save them. If they backed out now, then who would save them?

Looking back at the Nightmare, she finally realized what she had to do.

"No. I can't run away now…not when they need me" she said as she walked back to the creature.

"There are so many people who are counting on me, so many lives that need help. If I run away now, who will save them? And I need to save Rhyme from this creep. I can't let them down"

She looked at the mysterious figure and glared, pointing her keyblade towards them.

"If you think you can scare me with your big Dream Eater, then you have no idea who you're facing"

She quickly went into a fighting stance, squaring off with the enemy that was before her.

"You picked the wrong girl to start a fight with, monkey man"

A ball of light started to glow from within Hikari before it sprang forth from her, taking the form of a yellow and white Pegaslick Dream Eater. The horse neighed as it flew towards her. Hikari held her hand out and watched as the Dream Eater nuzzled into her palm.

"Are you here to help me?" she asked.

The Pegaslick nodded before taking a stance next to her, ready to face the Hockomonkey. Riki Bat flew towards her other side, puffing out its fuzzy chest as if to show it was ready to fight as well. Hikari smiled and went back into her fighting stance.

"Alright, let's show this ape what we can do!"

The Hockomonkey roared once again as it swung its fist at them. Hikari dodged and looked at her surroundings to get a better idea of how to defeat this thing. They were out in the open with hardly any spots to hide for cover and nothing to use as a weapon. They were in a barren environment which was becoming a huge disadvantage. Looking down at her feet, Hikari could see through the glass roof of the greenhouse. The whole area was filled with various plants and a flowing waterfall that helped keep the plants alive.

'_If I can get that thing down there, I might have a higher chance at beating it' _she thought.

If the Nightmare was in a contained area, that meant it wouldn't be able to move around as much. But at the same time since they were in a tight area that meant the chances of the others getting hit were high too.

Hikari would have to be the first one to attack if she wanted to win this fight.

Coming up with a plan, she summoned her Dream Eaters to tell them of her idea and what their roles would be. When each creature got their task, she put her plan into motion.

"Alright, let's wrap this up so we can save Rhyme"

She jumped onto the Pegaslick's back and flew over the Hockomonkey's head. Aiming her keyblade at the glass ceiling, she shot a beam of light at it causing the roof to shatter. They Hockomonkey fell through the roof and landed into the greenhouse where it was trapped.

Now for Phase 2.

"Now, Riki Bat!"

The little bat zipped into the greenhouse, grabbing various vines it could find and wrapped them around the Hockomonkey's wrists. This wouldn't contain it for long, but it would be enough for what Hikari had in mind next.

Flying into the greenhouse, she aimed her keyblade at the water fall, calling forth a water spell. Sure, enough the waterfall grew bigger which cause the greenhouse the start flooding with extra water.

Just what Hikari was hoping for.

Aiming her Keyblade now at the pool she created, she smiled darkly as she used the spell that would end this match.

"THUNDER!"

The whole area filled with lighting as it dances across the water and hit the Hockomonkey. The Nightmare let out a strangled roar as it was electrocuted. Hikari kept the spell going until the Nightmare couldn't handle it anymore and its body finally caved in and turned into dark dream particles.

When the Nightmare was finally gone, Hikari sighed with relief and slumped against the Pegaslick's neck.

"That was a close one"

Riki Bat flew towards them and chirped happily at the fact that they won. Smiling softly, Hikari stroked its soft fur while she patted the Pegaslick's neck.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys. Thanks for helping me"

Looking up at the ceiling, she narrowed her eyes. That mysterious figure was still out there. Now that the Nightmare was gone it was time to take care of her next problem.

Flying out of the greenhouse, she went to see who this person was.

/

Sure enough, Hikari found the Organization member standing near the edge of the greenhouse. Jumping off the Pegaslick, she strode over to him Keyblade in hand.

"Alright you, shows over. Now tell me what you did with Rhyme?"

The mysterious figure didn't say anything for a moment, but when it did it was bone chilling.

"A Keyblade Weidler who can not only see memories but is also one of the princesses of heart. I wonder, just how many more titles do you hold?"

They turned around and pulled back their hood, revealing to be a boy around Hikari's age with tan skin and silver hair.

He smiled at her darkly as if thinking about something.

"I'm starting to see why she picked you to be her successor"

Hikari narrowed her eyes and went into a fighting stance.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The mysterious figure laughed darkly.

"I think the question is who are you? Will you be the one who makes my dreams come true? Or shall you let my nightmares become a reality?"

Never taking his eyes off her, he opened a dark portal and slowly walked towards it.

"Take care, Hikari. I look forward to seeing you unlock the secrets that sleep deep within your heart"

When the portal closed, Hikari dismissed her Keyblade.

"Just who was that guy?" she wondered.

"He seemed familiar…and yet at the same time…he wasn't"

She sighed, knowing she had yet another mystery to solve. Fortunately, she was pulled from her rambled thoughts when she saw two very familiar faces run into the Fifth District.

Gasping, Hikari quickly ran down to the bottom floor of the greenhouse, hoping to catch up to Sora and Riku.

/

Hikari's heart was jumping for joy when she saw Sora and Riku. She was afraid that she would have to take these exams on her own, but it looked like that wasn't the case. They were here and that meant they could pass this exam with flying colors and figure out who this mysterious figure was.

She smiled as she got closer, not realizing that both looked transparent.

"Sora! Riku!"

"Just a moment, Hikari"

Hikari skidded to a stop when a boy with beige hair suddenly appeared before her with Rhyme at her side. At the sight of her, Hikari's attention immediately when to Rhyme instead.

"Rhyme!"

She flung herself at the girl and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright. I'm so sorry for putting you into danger like that"

Rhyme just smiled at returned the hug.

"It's alright. I'm happy you came to rescue me, but I'm fine. He took me away before that man in the coat could do anything" she said as she gestured to the boy next to her.

Hikari finally took the time to study this new face. There was something off about this boy, but she could tell that his heart was in the right place.

"Thank you…um?"

The boy chuckled.

"Pardon me, where are my manners? I'm Joshua"

Hikari nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Thank you for saving Rhyme, Joshua. But…how do you know my name? And where did you take Rhyme?"

Joshua wore a mysterious smirk as he tucked a hand in his pocket.

"If you'd like to settle down for a sec, I'll field your questions one at a time" he offered.

Hikari pondered for a moment. She wanted to catch up to Sora and Riku, but right now her main concern was Rhyme and making sure she was ok.

"Very well, I would appreciate it if you would clear up a few things for me" she said.

Joshua nodded in understanding.

"Let's start with Rhyme" he said.

"I'm hanging onto her dreams for her. They're my portal"

Hikari tilted her head.

"Portal?"

Joshua rubbed his neck, trying to find a better way at explaining things.

"Let's just say her dreams area a gateway between worlds" he explained.

"Next question-how could I possibly know your name? This town has a little secret. It only appears when someone out there has a need of shelter"

Hikari nodded, finally understanding something he was saying. Of course, she knew about the workings of Traverse Town-she lived her with Leon before she made it to the islands.

"Believe me, I know the functions of this world. I lived here for a bit when I was a kid…although it seemed some areas were added since I was last here"

Joshua shook his head.

"That's where you're wrong. You stayed on the version of this world that is in the realm of in between, while the one you're currently on is one that is made up of my dreams" he clarified.

"That's why I was able to know your name-I dreamed you up. I also know your friends, Sora and Riku"

Hikari's heart leaped, remembering that she saw them close by before Joshua showed up. She went towards them, only for Joshua to stop her.

"Wait a minute. Surely you can tell that they're not here physically"

Hikari looked at Joshua then looked at Sora and Riku. Now that she saw them closer, she could tell right away that they weren't here. They looked transparent as if they were projected from a screen and were moving around as if they were there.

She went up to Riku's projection and reached her hand towards him. Her heart sank when her hand went right through him. She was so close to him and yet so far away.

'_It's like my last two journeys all over again' _she thought.

"If they're not here…then where are they?"

Joshua walked up to the projection, watching the scene unfold before them.

"They're right inside this projection, in another imaging of this world" he explained.

Hikari took a moment to process all this information Joshua was giving her. It they weren't on the same Traverse Town she was on, then they were on a different one.

"So…they're in another Traverse Town? Is there a way I can reach them?"

"Sad to say, it doesn't work that way" Joshua said.

"You can't travel through another person's dreams. In this projection, you're seeing another chain of events, in another world trapped by the Dream Eaters. As for how the world got split into various pieces…I have a feeling you'll need to ask that guy"

A projection of the mysterious figure appeared before Riku, telling him something that clearly put him on edge.

"What is he doing there?" Hikari wondered.

This was proof that this mysterious figure was bad news. If he could cross dreams like it was nothing, who knew what else could do as well.

'_These exams seem to be taking a turn for the worse. I need to find Sora and Riku before that mysterious guy harms them' _she thought.

She looked at Sora and Riku's projections again. They seemed to be okay now but hopefully they could take care of themselves until she found them.

"Sora…"

She looked at Riku's projection and held her hand up as if to reach him again.

"Riku…"

Riku's projection held up his hand as if he could sense her. The two of their hands touched, showing that despite being far away, they were still near one another.

Hikari smiled at the connection.

"Don't worry, Riku. I'll catch up to you and Sora in no time" she said.

"And how do you plan to accomplish that?" Joshua asked.

"You can't cross dreams like that. The only way you can see them again is if you woke up"

Hikari looked at him determinedly.

"I have to try at least" she said.

"The bond I share with them is an unbreakable one. No matter where I am, my heart will always lead me to theirs. If I keep that in mind, then I'll see them again in this exam"

She smiled at her new Dream Eater friends.

"Besides, I'm sure my new friends will be more than happy to help me out"

The two Dream Eaters chirped and squealed at the idea of going on an adventure.

Hikari sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I was really skeptical about taking this exam, but it's a good thing I took it" she said.

"If there are people like that creepy boy entering the realm of dreams and causing trouble, then I need to stop him. What kind of Keyblade Wielder would I be if I let this happen?"

She held up her fight.

"I'll stop that guy and show Sora and Riku I can take care of myself. They've always protected me in the past and now it's my turn to protect them"

Joshua smirked as he laughed under his breath.

"So, this is the Hikari she was talking about" he muttered.

The keyhole to Traverse Town appeared before them. Summoning her keyblade, Hikari sealed it so the Nightmares wouldn't attack it again. One down and who knew how many more to go.

"Sora…Riku…hang in there until I reach you, okay?" she said quietly.

She looked at Rhyme and smiled sadly to her.

"I'm sorry that I have to leave but I need to help these other sleeping worlds"

Rhyme nodded in understanding.

"It's okay. Just be careful on your travels. And make sure you come back and visit"

Hikari knelt and pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks for everything" she whispered.

She got up and started walking away. She still didn't know if she had what it took to become a Master. What she did know though was that the other sleeping worlds and her friends needed help and she would be the one to come to their aid.

'_I swear I will protect everything' _she vowed.

With that vow, Hikari's quest to become a Keyblade Master began.

/

**A/N: Way to go Hikari! She just started off her exam by proving she has what it takes to fight on her own, (which if you see what happens in KH3 she's gonna need that mind set lol) **

**Seems like Lumen keeps wanting to show Hikari what happened to her. Wonder why she's doing that? Is it to show her what's to be expected with Xehanort?...or perhaps she doesn't want history to repeat itself.**

**And of course our main villain of the story has made an appearance. He's gonna give Hikari a headache with the way he talks, I just know it. **

**Well, feel free to tell me what you think and what you're excited to see next!**

**Take care!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Traverse Town: Riku's Side

**A/N: We're on Riku's side! Wonder if his part of the exam is gonna be as crazy as Hikari's? One thing is for certain is that these exams are not to be taken lightly. Also, how has everyone been enjoying KH3? Was it worth the wait or everything you expected it to be? I've been enjoying it immensely and I keep crying at certain parts because of the nostalgia lol. Anyway, let's get on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my Oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

When Riku woke up he realized he wasn't in Yen Sid's study anymore but rather the Third District of Traverse Town.

'_What in the world is going on? Why am I in Traverse Town?'_

The other thing he realized was that neither Sora or Hikari were with him, which meant he was all alone.

"Sora! Hikari! Where are you?" he called out.

Sadly, he got no response from either of the two. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to process everything that had happened all the while trying to keep calm over the fact that his best friend and girlfriend were missing.

"I remember we were in Yen Sid's study…and then everything went black.

He looked at the district, slowly putting the pieces together.

"So…this must be one of the sleeping worlds" he realized.

"So, it's started"

He closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. This was not how he wanted the exams to start. He thought that since the three of them were taking it together, they would be testing together as well.

Clearly Yen Sid had other plans in mind.

"Wow! Where's your portal?"

Riku jumped at the voice and looked around for the owner of it. When he finally found the person, he narrowed his eyes slightly. Sitting on top of the fountain was a boy his age who wore a mysterious smirk.

"It takes something special to jump between places without one" he said.

Riku put his guard up, getting a strange vibe from this boy. What did he mean by portals? And where did he come from?

"Who are you?" he asked.

The boy smiled, feeling pleased he was putting Riku on edge.

"My name is Joshua"

Riku ignored the introduction and got to the heart of the matter.

"What do you mean by 'portal'?" he asked.

Joshua raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head.

"Are we just skipping past the part where you tell me your name?" he taunted.

Riku sighed in annoyance but complied to be polite. He had a feeling Joshua wouldn't tell him anything until he did so.

"It's Riku"

Joshua smiled and waved his hand mockingly.

"Hello, Riku" he teased.

"Portals are like gateways that link up our worlds. Apparently, the world you and I are standing in right now-well, there are three copies of it. It's been sort of cut into pieces. Portals are what let folks like us cross between them"

Riku pondered this over, trying to understand what Joshua was saying.

"There are multiple versions of this world?" he asked.

Joshua simply shrugged.

"The world is as many things as people need it to be" he explained.

"The concept that we all live in the same world-that's just in our heads. Surely you knew that?"

When he saw Riku still looked confused, he decided to show him an example.

"Tell you what, Riku. I've got a little errand for you"

Riku spun on his heel and started to walk away. He didn't have time for Joshua's riddles, nor did he care to hear them. He needed to find Sora and Hikari, so they could take their Mark of Mastery exams.

"Sorry. I don't trust you" he said.

And it was true. After everything he went through, he always stayed cautious of new people. There were only a handful of people he trusted, and this Joshua kid wasn't one of them.

Joshua laughed as he jumped off the fountain.

"Aw, at least hear me out!" he called out.

"I'm looking for a girl named Rhyme. She's the key to the portal. And on the other side, who knows who we'll find? Maybe even your friends?"

That stopped Riku in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder, he wondered how Joshua knew about his best friend and girlfriend.

"You know Sora and Hikari? " He asked.

Joshua wore a mysterious smirk.

"Now I have your attention" he said.

He strode over to Riku, putting his hands in his pockets.

"But, unfortunately, I don't know where they are. If they're not on this version of the world, I can only assume they have to be on one of the others. Simple logic"

Riku sighed. He should have known it would have been too easy to find Sora and Hikari. Looking at Joshua, he studied him closely. He didn't trust the guy, but he could tell that he was telling the truth about knowing where Sora and Hikari were.

He knew he would probably regret this later, but he decided to help him. If it meant he could see Hikari again, he wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

"You wanna find Rhyme? You got it" he said.

Joshua nodded in understanding.

"Very well then, let's go"

The two left the district in search of Rhyme and in Riku's case for Sora and Hikari.

/

Sure, enough when they entered the Second District, they were bombarded with Nightmares. Riku took care of them with ease but was surprised that they never attacked Joshua. It was as if the Dream Eaters tried to stay away from him as much as possible.

"Joshua, how come they never attack you?" Riku asked when it was safe again.

Joshua looked at him as they continued walking.

"'They' being Dream Eaters?" he clarified.

"They won't go after you unless you're a dreamer. Which is funny, because I've got plenty of dreams"

Riku found it off but didn't say anything.

"But they're definitely attacking me" he said.

"So…you think I'm a dreamer?"

Joshua nodded, acting like it was obvious.

"Every human is a dreamer. I had a friend once who said he never dreamed of anything, but it turned out that his were the most powerful dreams of all. You sort of remind me of him" he said.

"Why don't we give your dreams shape?"

Riku thought about it and decided to give it a try. Yen Sid said they would help him with this exam so why let that pass?

Closing his eyes, he thought of the strongest dreams he harbored deep within his heart. His desire to be by Hikari's side and keep her safe were his biggest dreams. His second was having the strength to overcome the obstacles he would have to face soon. Both went hand in hand. His desire to protect what was most precious to him and have the help he needed to protect everything he held dear.

The dreams took form and sprang from his heart, taking shape. When Riku opened his eyes, he was greeted to the sight of a red and black Pegaslick and a white, yellow and orange Yoggy Ram.

Riku smiled at them, seeing they symbolized the two people who the most precious to him.

Joshua was impressed with Riku's Dream Eaters but wasn't surprised. He had a strong heart so of course he would have strong Dream Eaters.

"In this world, they take form as Dream Eaters, which can become great allies" he said.

Riku looked at his new comrades, glad he would have some help with this exam.

"I gotchu now, Joshua!"

The moment was ruined when a punked out looking boy appeared on the upper level of the district and glared at Joshua.

"Once I take you down, yo, me and Rhyme is goin' back where we belong!"

Joshua held the bridge of his nose, clearly not up for this boy's antics.

"Beat. How many times do we have to go over this?" he sighed.

"You've been tricked-by that rouge in the black coat"

That caught Riku's attention right away. There was only one group of people who would wear black coats.

"Black coats? But that's- "

"I'm telling you you've made a friend in our enemy" Joshua chided Beat.

Beat shook his head.

"Just can it, aight?" he snapped.

"Your inverse psychiatry ain't gonna work! Let's go, Dream Eaters!"

He summoned his Dream Eaters, clearly showing he meant business. Joshua sighed as he shook his head.

"Not again" he groaned.

Riku deiced to take matters into his own hands. It was obvious this Beat guy wasn't going to back down and Joshua didn't have any Dream Eaters that could help him fight.

With his new Dream Eaters as his side, he took care of Beat's within minutes, clearly showing that the punk was full of hot air.

Beat just sat on the ground in defeat and pouted.

"You know what? Forget it. This is stale, yo"

Joshua just laughed as he walked up to him.

"Playing the tough guy 24/7? I'd be worn out too" he teased.

Beat placed his head in his hands, clearly bent out of shape over something.

"I just…wanna protect the one person who matters most" he said.

Riku felt a tug at his heart when he heard that. His hand went to Hikari's necklace, giving it a squeeze.

"I know the feeling" he said quietly.

His vision suddenly became blurry as his body swayed unsteadily.

"Why am I suddenly…so sleepy?"

His body gave out while his mind succumbed to slumber. His dreams were filled with warnings Yen Sid had told them before the exams began.

/

'_Long ago, in the age of fairy tales, the world was filled with light-a gift, many believed, from an unseen power known as 'Kingdom Hearts'"_

_Riku and Hikari listened intently, knowing this story all too well since Taiyouko told them this story many times. The fact that Yen Sid was telling it meant that this was no fairy tale._

"_You see, Kingdom Hearts was protected by its counterpart, the 'X-blade', so that none could ever lay a hand on its mysteries" Yen Sid said._

"_But in time, the world was overrun by legions who wanted the light all for themselves, and the first shadows were cast upon the land. These warriors crafted 'Keyblades' in the image of the original 'X-blade' and waged a great war over Kingdom Hearts. We call this the 'Keyblade War"_

_Hikari bit her lip, seeing images of an empty field surrounded by forgotten Keyblades. She could only imagine how many lives were lost in that battle._

"_Though the war extinguished all light from the world- "_

"_The darkness could not reach the light inside the hearts of children" Hikari finished._

_Her mother had told her that story so many times, she remembered each line of it._

_Yen Sid nodded gravely._

"_With that light, the world was remade as we know it today, with countless smaller worlds shining like stars in the sky. As for the X-blade, it did not survive the battle. The two elements that created it, one of darkness and one of light shattered into twenty-six pieces; thirteen of light and thirteen of darkness"_

_Yen Sid closed his eyes, thinking of how Xehanort tried to recreate the X-blade using Ven as a vessel. Just like Lumen, he too was a tool used for his ambitions._

"_And as for the source of all light-the one true Kingdom Hearts-it was swallowed by the darkness, never to be seen again. If it remains there, even the brightest world will have its dark corners. After all, light begets darkness, and darkness is drawn to the light. For this reason, some decided to use the Keyblade-a weapon designed to conquer the light-to defend the light instead. These are the first heroes of the Keyblade"_

_Riku squeezed Hikari's hand tightly. He didn't know what to expect after hearing all of this, but he would never let anything happen to Hikari. He almost lost her thanks to Xehanort and he didn't want that to happen again._

/

Riku groaned when he felt something gently nudged his face. Opening his eyes, he saw his Pegaslick Dream Eater hover near his worriedly. Smiling, he patted its face, showing he was fine.

With some help from the Yoggy Ram, he managed to get back on his feet.

"What happened? Did I fall asleep?"

He looked around to see both Joshua and Beat were gone. He found it a little unsettling that they just vanished when he blacked out, but he had more important things to worry about. He still needed to find Sora and Hikari. Not only that but find out about this rouge in the black coat. If it was someone from the Organization, he needed to find out fast. He didn't want anything to happen to Sora or Hikari.

'_I know they can take care of themselves, but I don't want them to get hurt" _he thought.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw a girl running away from a group of Nightmares.

"Hey, do you mind?" she scoffed as they chased her into the first district.

Riku's Pegaslick quickly followed the girl, wanting to help.

"Hey, come back!" Riku called out.

The Yoggy Ram head butted into Riku's back, shoving him towards the first district. It seemed that it too wanted to help, but it wanted Riku to help as well.

"Alright, I'm going, I'm going" he said.

He was gonna help anyway, but he found it ironic that his Dream Eaters were acting like the people that they were based on.

/

When he reached the first district, he found his Pegaslick protecting the girl from the Nightmares. Rushing over to them, he joined the fray and helped his Dream Eaters get rid of the Nightmares. When the Nightmares were gone, the girl slowly approached him.

"Seriously, thanks. I'm Shiki by the way. How 'bout you?"

Riku took a step back when Shiki came too close. Ever since Hikari became his girlfriend he made sure he wasn't too close around other females. Maybe it was because he wanted to show he was taken…or because he knew Taiyouko would kill him if she found out he was by other girls.

When Shiki tilted her head, waiting for an answer, Riku cleared his throat.

"It's Riku" he said.

Shiki smiled and held her cat plush close.

"Thanks, Riku"

Riku nodded and started walking away.

"Sure" he said, thinking that was that.

Apparently, Shiki thought differently. The girl pouted before she ran after him.

"Hey! That's it? You chat up a girl then just say 'sure' and walk off?"

Riku sighed as he hung his head. He had thought Taiyouko could be annoying when she pouted but Shiki was starting to prove him wrong.

"I'm bad at this, sorry" he said.

"Look, it's not safe here. You should go home"

Shiki placed a hand on her hip in annoyance.

"If it's dangerous, how can you just leave me here?" she pointed out.

"Aren't you my knight in shining armor? Well?"

Riku chuckled a little and held up Hikari's necklace.

"Sorry, I'm already someone's knight and I don't place to relinquish that title"

Shiki sighed while muttering 'figures' under her breath. She soon perked up and started walking ahead.

"Well, what are we waiting for? The sooner you get me home, the sooner I'll be safe"

Riku sighed and hung his head. This was not how he thought his exam was gonna go. Looking at his Dream Eaters, he saw they were waiting for his command.

"Well? What should we do?"

The Pegaslick made a noise before following Shiki. Riku looked at the Yoggy Ram and shrugged.

"Guess that answers that question"

With that, Riku found himself being a bodyguard.

/

Walking with Shiki was…interesting. And by interesting, Riku wondered how someone could talk so fast. It seemed that Shiki didn't like the silence and decided to chat up a storm.

It made Riku realized how thankful he was that he had King Mickey and Taiyouko as traveling partners. They knew when it was good to talk and when they needed a moment to relax and think.

Shiki looked at Riku when she saw that wasn't saying much and pouted. What was it with guys and talking? Surely this guy had something he enjoyed talking about, right? Smirking slightly, she thought of something that would make him talk.

"So, Riku…do you have a girlfriend?"

Riku tripped over his feet and looked at Shiki. The girl giggled when she saw his face blushing.

"Excuse me?" he managed to say.

"You mentioned that you were someone else's knight, so I figured you had a girlfriend. So, do you?" Shiki asked.

Riku turned away as he tried to control the blush on his face. Why did he have to act like an idiot when someone mentioned Hikari?

'_Because you love her, that's why' _he thought.

Sighing, he decided to amuse her. If he told her about Hikari, then maybe she would leave him alone.

"Yeah, I have a girlfriend and I love her very much. I can't imagine life without her in it"

Shiki giggled, finding it amusing that Riku was getting embarrassed.

"She must be very special then" she said.

Riku smiled and held Hikari's necklace.

"You have no idea"

When they made it to the fifth district, Shiki spotted something up by the greenhouse.

"Over there!" she said as she ran.

Riku panicked a little. She made a big deal about going off on her own and now she decided to run off.

"Hey! We should stick together!" he called out.

Sure, enough he heard Shiki yell out in fear, signaling that she was in trouble.

"Perfect" Riku groaned.

He hurried over to where she went, wondering if she had any common sense.

"You can't expect me to- "he stopped short when he saw that Shiki wasn't around the corner, but rather the rouge in the black coat instead.

Riku felt his blood go cold, realizing that things were about to take an ugly turn.

"How did you get here?" the mysterious figure asked.

Riku glared at him and summoned his Keyblade.

"Who are you?" he ordered.

The mysterious figure ignored him and proceeded to walk towards him.

"By choice or chance?" he taunted.

"You cannot control what you're not aware of. This wakeless sleep with be your prison…to wander forever"

Riku gripped his Keyblade tightly. He didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"What do you mean?"

"Riku! Don't you listen to that punk!" Beat called out.

He ran over with Shiki in tow.

"Shiki's gonna be fine! She told me whassup"

He glared at the mysterious figure and jabbed a finger at his direction.

"Hoodie here set this whole thing up, yo. He promised to send Shiki back to our world, and you was the cost of travel. Yo, this is seriously one half-baked excuse for a mission. Betchu isn't even a reaper"

Riku turned to the mysterious figure and glared at him.

"All right, who are you?"

The mysterious figure lowered his hood, revealing himself. He smiled darkly at Riku as if he knew something.

"I'm the one who shall make your nightmares become a reality"

With that, he summoned the Hockomonkey Dream Eater and sent it into the greenhouse before disappearing himself.

Shiki looked upset, knowing this was all her doing.

"I'm really sorry, Riku" she said.

Riku gave her a sympathetic look. He couldn't be that mad at her. He once used dark measures to get what he wanted; not knowing of the consequences they would bring. She was just lucky no one got hurt.

"It's alright" he said. He looked at Beat seriously.

"Beat, watch her"

He looked at his two Dream Eaters and gave them a nod.

"Alright you two. Let's go show this Nightmare who's boss"

He quickly ran inside, hoping he could take care of the Nightmare before it got out of hand.

/

Seeing the Hockomonkey in such a tight area showed that Riku was going to have a difficult time defeating it. He tried looking for a weak spot on the Nightmare and sadly found it was only its head. While the rest of the body was protected, the head was left wide open. Go figure.

How was he supposed to attack it without getting hit in the process?

'_Come on, Riku, think. What's the best way to defeating this thing?' _he thought.

Just then, a projection of Hikari ran past him and faced the Hockomonkey.

"Hikari?!"

Hikari didn't seem to hear him since she summoned her Keyblade to fight. Riku panicked and ran towards her, fearing that she would get hurt if she faced this thing alone.

"Hikari, don't! This thing is too powerful to face alone! I'll take care of- "

He stopped short when his hand went through Hikari's body. Suddenly, he remembered Joshua's words from when he first met him. If Hikari or Sora weren't here, then that meant they were in a different version of Traverse Town.

'_So Hikari's here in the greenhouse…but it's within a different Traverse Town' _

So, in other words she was fighting this Dream Eater as well. He panicked, thinking she had to fight on her own, but he saw her projection running around, using the greenhouse to help her fight. Looking around the greenhouse, he started to come up with an idea as well to defeat this Dream Eater.

'_I don't know if you're trying to give me a hint, Hikari, but I'm following your lead'_

Forming a plan, he started to take action. Instead of full on attacking the Nightmare, he started running up the bridge leading to the upper level of the greenhouse. The higher he got meant the better chance he would have at attacking the head.

He was half way to the second level when the Hockomonkey slammed its fists into the walkway, preventing Riku from going any further. The Nightmare raised its fists again to crush him, only this time it was blocked by the Yoggy Ram.

The tough spirit blocked the Nightmare's fist it with its horns and pushed it back with defensive magic. Riku patted the Ram's neck in gratitude and looked at the ramp. He tried to figure out how to get to the other side without having the jump over the huge gap.

"There has to be another way to get to the top"

He got his answer when the Pegaslick swooped underneath him, so he ended up sitting on its back before it flew off into the air. Now being higher up, Riku had a clear shot of getting towards the Nightmare's head.

Jumping off the Pegaslick, he slammed his Keyblade into the Hockomonkey's head. The Nightmare dissolved into dark particles as it vanished from the area.

Sighing with relief, Riku looked at his Dream Eater companions.

"I owe you two a lot for helping me. I have a feeling this wouldn't have ended well if you hadn't stepped in"

The Dream Eaters made various noises, showing their happiness. Riku crossed his arms as he thought of something.

"If we're gonna travel together, I suppose I should give you guys some names. It'll be weird if I talk to you or if we're in a fight and I need your help"

He mulled some names in his head for a moment before he found the perfect ones that fitted each Dream Eater perfectly.

"I'll call you Sunny" he said to the Yoggy Ram.

"And your name will be Hika" he told the Pegaslick.

Both Dream Eaters jumped around, happy that they had names finally.

Riku smiled as well, finding their happiness to be contagious. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hikari's projection leaving the greenhouse. It seemed she finished her battle as well.

"Where are you off to now, Hikari?" he asked himself.

He followed his girlfriend's projection, wondering what was happening in her version of Traverse Town.

/

Hikari's projection wasn't the only one Riku saw when he left the greenhouse. He saw Sora's projection as well as Neku and Rhyme's standing next to her. Shiki and beat were reacting in a similar fashion as how Riku did when he first saw Hikari's.

"Hey, what is this?" Shiki asked.

Beat groaned in frustration as he looked at Rhyme's projection.

"This is so messed up, man! She's right here in front of me and…I can't reach her!"

He tried grabbing Rhyme, but his hand simply went through her.

Riku felt Beat's pain all too well. To be close yet so far from the one that was precious to you was a painful thing. He wasn't with Hikari and yet he was at the same time. It was a connection that would never be broken. As long as someone had that connection, they would always find a way to each other again.

"If your hearts are connected, you'll reach her" he said.

He looked over at Sora and Hikari's projections. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to see them right away with these exams, but he hoped that he would see them soon. He was sure that they could handle themselves on their own. They had fought many enemies before, so this should be a walk in the park.

Looking at them, he gave them a soft smile.

"You two be careful with this exam. I can't be there to protect you, so you'll have to stay strong…but then again you've both have always been strong"

He saw Hikari's projection hold her hand up as if trying to reach him. Even if they were far away from each other, their hearts always brought them back together. Smiling, he held his hand up, letting it touch hers. Even if she wasn't there, he felt like she was.

"I'll try to get to you one way or another in the exams." He said. "I promised you that I would never let anything bad happen to you while we took them, and I intend to keep that promise. Until I find you, please stay safe for me"

He looked at Sora's projection. He was sure that his best friend was facing similar obstacles with his exams as well.

"You stay safe as well. I don't doubt your strength, but this is a whole different game we're playing now. Who knows what's gonna happen in these exams. Until I find you guys, stay out of trouble"

With those parting words, he turned to Sunny and Hika.

"Alright, guys. Let's see what this exam has in store for us"

The trio left the Fifth District, knowing that the Mark of Mastery was in full swing. If beings such as that mysterious figure were roaming the Dream Worlds, then it was just as Yen Sid feared.

'_I'll make sure these Nightmares won't become a reality" _he vowed.

Riku's Mark of Mastery had officially begun.

/

**A/N: So Riku's exam has begun! It seems this mysterious figure is gonna give Riku trouble too. I don't like that little warning he gave him though. What could he possibly mean by making Riku's nightmares a reality? **

**What do you think of Riku's Dream Eaters? You think they fit? I have a feeling if Taiyouko ever found out that Riku thought she resembled a Ram she would beat him. Let's hope she doesn't find out about it lol.**

**Please tell me what you thought of the chapter! **

**Take care!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Notre Dame: Hikari's Side

**A/N: Hikari is off to her first world! Wonder what this world has in store for her? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my Oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

_Hikari was once again back in the crystal cave. She found Lumen sitting on top of one of the larger crystals, staring at her lap sadly. The poor girl looked so broken and sad as she picked up Terra's lucky charm. Over the years it had lost its shine and color making it look old and worn out. The metal edge starting to rust after not being taken care of for so long. _

_Slowly walking up to her, Hikari looked at Lumen with pity. She really wanted to help her, but she didn't know what she was supposed to do. _

"_That's Terra's charm, isn't it?" she asked._

_Lumen nodded as she dropped the charm back in her lap. Just touching it made her sad. Hikari tried to give her a hopeful smile. Seeing her sad made her heart ache for some reason. It was as if she was feeling what Lumen was feeling right now._

"_You know, I have a best friend named Kairi who made a good luck charm like yours" she said._

"_She made it out of sea shells and gave it to Sora. It was their little promise to each other that he would always return it to her, so he could give it back to her. Is that why you have Terra's? So, you'll be able to return it to him and be together again?"_

_Lumen closed her eyes and buried her head into her knees. Waving her hand, she projected another image on the large crystals. _

_A memory of Lumen and Terra standing outside in the gardens sprang forth. Lumen was trying to tell Terra that she didn't care that he wasn't a Keyblade Master, that she was save with him just the way that he was. Terra on the other hand thought differently and was adamant that he became one, always saying that he couldn't truly protect her unless he was a Master. _

_That obsession would drive him to go to Xehanort, where he told him twisted lies and said what Terra wanted to hear. He told Terra he was fine as he was and that he should embrace the darkness within his heart instead of banishing it. _

_Never did Terra or Lumen realize that these actions would soon lead to dire consequences. _

_The light died down as the memory faded away. Lumen picked u Terra's charm again, touching the rusted edge with her fingers. A tear fell down her face as she looked at the old charm._

"_If only he had listened to his heart…then maybe none of this would have happened"_

/

Hikari felt herself get jostled awake. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes to see that she was laying on the back of her Pegaslick. It seemed that during their travels between the world of dreams, she ended up falling asleep.

Stifling a yawn, she slowly felt herself waking up.

"That must have been some ride. I don't remember falling asleep though"

Riki Bat fluttered in front of her, making squeaking noises as it talked to Hikari. She stifled a laugh as if she knew what it was saying.

"Yeah, I guess it could be because we're in the sleeping realms" she teased.

The Pegaslick whinnied, signaling that they were almost at their next location.

"There seems to be a lot of buildings in this world. Do you think you can take us to an open area, er…come to think of it, I haven't given you a name yet"

The Pegaslick snorted, showing that she was right.

"Well, that won't do. I can't just say 'you' the whole time we're taking this exam. Hmm, let me think"

Looking at her Dream Eater, she noticed that it's body was mostly in yellow and cream colors. Lumen's outfit had a similar color scheme, now that she thought about it. This couldn't have been a coincidence. She just had a dream regarding Lumen and now she realized her Pegaslick kinda looked like her? Well, no matter the situation, the Dream Eater needed a name, and Hikari found the perfect one based on this situation.

"Lulu" she said.

"I'm going to call you Lulu"

The Pegaslick whined, showing it liked the name very much.

"Alright then, Lulu. Take us down so we can explore this world"

Lulu happily obliged and flew down closer to the old looking town below.

/

The streets were empty as Hikari observed the town. For a place that had lots of homes, it wasn't the liveliest. Walking down the cobbled road, she let her mind wander back to the dream she saw earlier.

Lumen was showing her memories of Terra and the bond they shared with one another. It was obvious that they cared for each other, but Hikari noticed that even though Lumen kept telling Terra she was happy with the way things were, Terra craved more. He desired to be a Keyblade Master no matter what while Lumen thought it was just a stupid empty title.

"It seemed like Terra wanted to be a Keyblade Master to prove that he was worthy…almost like how Riku feels about these exams" she said quietly to herself.

She did agree with Lumen's thinking about the title of Master though. What was so special about the title? Why was Yen Sid so persistent that she, Riku and Sora obtained it? Why was it so important in stopping Xehanort?

Thinking such thoughts made her question her own credibility.

"I wonder if I have what it takes to be a Master"

Lulu turned to her and watched her closely. Hikari just smiled weakly; not caring that she was talking to her Dream Eater.

"I really don't know if I have what it takes to do this. I know this is something I need to figure out on my own, but I just don't know how. How do I prove I have what it takes when I don't even know what it requires to be Keyblade Master? I mean what's the difference between that to what I am now?"

This was what she had been thinking ever since the exam began. What was a Keyblade Master? Why was it so important? How was a title going to stop Xehanort and save Lumen?

Lulu went up to Hikari and nudged her under the chin. She snorted a bit as she stomped her hoof. It was as if the Dream Eater was telling her 'Cheer up' or 'Don't give up yet'.

Hikari smiled a little and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You're right, I shouldn't be thinking this way. I mean I just started this exam" she chuckled.

"And if I don't pass and don't become a Master, that won't stop me. You don't need a stupid title if you want to help others. I mean, I've helped a lot of people before and I wasn't a Master then"

Lulu snorted in agreement.

Hikari smiled and held her fist up.

"Alright! Let's go prove that we have what it takes to pass this exam!.. even though I don't know what we're looking for in this world"

Riki Bat frantically flew towards them and squeaked to get their attention. The little bat gestured towards something up ahead and they needed to go there right away.

Sensing trouble was ahead, Hikari followed the bat to see what was wrong.

Sure enough, she found two men harassing a young Gypsy woman. Judge Frollo glared darkly at Esmeralda as if she was the foulest thing on earth.

"Where did you get that money, Gypsy woman?" he ordered.

Esmeralda glared daggers as she held her bag close.

"For the last time, I earned it" she snapped.

"Gypsies don't earn money. It's obvious that you stole it" Frollo sneered.

"And I'm sure you know a lot about stealing" Esmeralda scoffed.

Captain Phoebus looked torn over what to do and which side to pick. It was obvious no matter which side he took, it was going to end badly.

Hikari scoffed at the scene. Leave it to the guys to pick on a poor defenseless woman. She didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like how this Frollo guy was handling it. Since no one was going to save this woman, she decided to do it herself

"AH! THEIVES! HELP, THEIVES!" she screamed.

Frollo and Phoebus turned and ran as they heard her frantic cries.

"What's wrong?" Phoebus asked.

Hikari tried to act scared and frantic, hoping it would take their attention away from Esmeralda.

"S-some man just stole my purse!" she cried.

"H-hey ran that way. Please, you must catch him, he took everything that I had!"

"Calm down, ma'am. We'll take care of this" Phoebus said.

"Just stay here while we catch the thief"

The two ran off, which gave Hikari the chance to act quickly. Running over to Esmeralda, she grabbed the woman's hand.

"Hurry, this way"

The ran in the opposite direction, hoping to get as far away from the men as possible.

Little did Hikari know was that Frollo had looked back and saw the whole thing.

/

When they got to a safe distance, the two girls stopped to catch their breath.

"I'm sure we're okay now. I doubt that old geezer would be able to run fast anyway" Hikari said.

Esmeralda chuckled, finding what Hikari said to be true.

"Thank you for helping me. You didn't have to do that"

"Are you kidding? Those guys were harassing you when you didn't do anything wrong" Hikari insisted.

"Not according to Frollo. He thinks Gypsies are evil and do nothing but steal and perform witchcraft" Esmeralda said bitterly.

Hikari looked at her thoughtfully. She didn't sense anything bad coming from the gypsy woman. If anything, she sensed the opposite.

"I don't know what a gypsy is exactly, but I know for a fact that you're not evil"

Esmeralda smiled gently. It was obvious that no one said anything nice about her or her people. Just hearing something so simple from a young girl was like a breath of fresh air.

"Thank you. I'm Esmeralda by the way"

"Nice to meet you, Esmeralda. I'm Hikari. So why was that Frollo guy bugging you? I doubt you were stealing so I don't know why he wouldn't leave you alone"

Esmeralda frowned as she looked away.

"Judge Frollo has always hated Gypsies" she said.

"Just because we're different from him, he thinks we're evil and must be dealt with. He's been trying to arrest my people for years"

She looked at the ground sadly.

"What's worse is that today is the Festival of Fools. It's the only time of year where we can celebrate in the streets and not worry about being judged or arrested"

She looked at Hikari sadly.

"It's supposed to be a day of fun, but Frollo sees it as a day to arrest as many gypsies as possible. How can I enjoy the festival when I have to worry about getting arrested?"

Hikari looked at the gypsy sadly. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to be targeted all the time, but it sounded scary. She just couldn't leave her alone, knowing Frollo was going to bug her.

"Tell you what. I'll take you to the festival, so you don't have to worry about this Frollo guy harassing you" she offered.

Esmeralda looked at her surprised.

"You would do that?"

Hikari smiled as she nodded.

"Of course. We girls need to stick together. Plus, this festival sounds like fun so I wanna see it"

Esmeralda chuckled and motioned for her to follow.

"It's this way. Hope you're ready to celebrate the Feast of Fools. It's the one day where everything is the opposite"

They headed off towards the festival was being held, hoping to have a grand old time and that Frollo wouldn't show up.

/

The festival was in full swing when the girls reached it. Everyone was being merry and having the time of their lives. Hikari had never seen a festival that was full of life like this one.

Esmeralda smiled, feeling at home in this environment.

"Welcome to the Festival of Fools, where everyone is a King and the Kings are clowns"

Hikari laughed and took in the scene before her. They stood before a grand bell tower that just oozed with power and significance. Something about the building gave Hikari a weird vibe but she deiced to ignore it.

Looking around the festival, she started to grow a little worried. Whenever there was a large group of people, bad things tended to happen. She always remembered that happening with the Heartless and she feared it would be the same with the Nightmares.

Turning to Esmeralda, she gave the gypsy a fake smile.

"I'm going to check this festival out. Do you think you'll be okay on your own?"

The gypsy nodded.

"Of course. Oh, and if you ever run into trouble just head into the bell tower" she warned.

"They say it's a place of healing and safety"

Storing that information away, Hikari turned to her Dream Eaters.

"Search the area for any Nightmares. I have a feeling they're hiding somewhere"

Scanning the crowd, she kept an eye out for the creatures.

"I don't know if this is part of the exam but I'm sure a Master must have a sharp eye when it comes to danger" she said to herself.

These were one of the times that she wished Sora, Donald and Goofy were with her. If one of them sensed that something was off, they could always count on the others to keep an eye out. They always had each other's backs in sticky situations.

Shaking her head, Hikari quickly rid herself of those thoughts.

"_They're not here now, so it's up to me to take care of myself. I need to show them I have what it takes and that I don't need to depend on them for everything" _

She didn't realize someone was behind her until they grabbed her arm. Spinning around, Hikari was face to face with Frollo. To say that the judge was livid was an understatement. Hikari could have sworn that she felt flames coming off him.

Laughing nervously, she tried to give him a fake smile.

"Oh, it's you! Were you able to find my purse?"

"Filthy vermin!" Frollo spat.

"I saw you helping that gypsy woman escape. It's obvious that you're in league with her"

Hikari let her smile drop as she gave him a glare to match his own.

"So, what if I helped her? You're the one accusing people they're doing something wrong simply because they're different than you. If I saw anyone being harassed by you, I'd help them, Gypsy or not"

Frollo growled, gripping her arm tighter.

"Talk like that is going to get you arrested, young lady"

Hikari scoffed and yanked her arm away.

"Please, as if you would be able to arrest me" she taunted.

A commotion soon erupted from the Festival as people screamed. Turning to the source, Hikari was horrified to see that the Nightmares were attacking the city.

Sidestepping Frollo, she ran to get rid of the horrid creatures.

"Stop right there! You're under arrest for assisting a Gypsy thief!" Frollo barked.

Hikari gave the judge a disgusted look.

"The city is being attacked by monsters and you're more concerned about arresting me? No wonder people run away from you"

Summoning her Keyblade, she ran into the fray to stop the Nightmares from ruining the festival. Lulu and Riki bat hovered near their mistress, waiting to trample their enemy.

"Let's do this!"

Going into Wisdom mode, Hikari cast blizzard to her boots and skated across the ground. Stunning a few with Thunder, she smirked when she saw Lulu charge through them like a battering ram. The two teamed up as they charged through the streets, clearing the area of the nasty Nightmares. When she spotted a few flying ones, she whistled for Riki Bat and went into action. Creating a ramp made of ice, she skated off it and flew up, grabbing onto the little bat's feet. Flying through the air, Hikari gripped the bat's feet with one hand while she slashed at the pesky Nightmares. When the sky was cleared, she flipped to the ground and reverted to her regular form.

Seeing that the danger was over, Esmeralda came out from her hiding spot and grabbed Hikari's hand.

"Quickly! We'll be safe inside the Church"

The two ran for Notre Dame, hoping to get away from the Nightmares. They almost made it inside when Frollo grabbed Hikari and tried to pull her away.

"Witch! I'll have you hanged for the use of dark magic!" he cried.

"I just saved your life, and this is how you repay me?!" Hikari spat.

Frollo growled. Darkness seemed to ooze out of him.

"I'll be damned if I let filth such as you roam the streets. For all I know you summoned those creatures!"

Esmeralda pulled Hikari away and edged them closer to the doors of the Church.

"We claim sanctuary. Leave us alone!" she ordered.

Frollo stalked closer to them as if they were prey.

"I'll have you hanged, mark my words" he threatened.

Before he could do anything, Phoebus stopped him.

"Sir, you can't harm them. They claimed sanctuary" he said.

"You know the law of the Church. Anyone who claims sanctuary is given safety within the Church. It's out of our hands now"

Frollo growled, hating the fact that he was tricked. Glaring at the two girls, he slowly backed away.

"Very well, I won't harm you so long as you're within the safety of Notre Dame" he said.

"However, if either of you take one step out of this Church, you're mine"

Hikari blew a raspberry at the judge as she and Esmeralda ran within the safety of Notre Dame.

/

Locked inside the Church, the two girls let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"That was close. I wasn't expecting that to work" Esmeralda said.

Hikari slowly walked further into the Church seeing that it was empty.

"Are you sure we're safe here?"

Esmeralda nodded as she walked around.

"Frollo may be a judge, but he has no power when it comes to Notre Dame" she explained.

"If anyone claims sanctuary then they're given automatic protection. Frollo can't go against the law of the Church no matter how much he wants to"

She sighed sadly at their predicament.

"Even if we're safe here, we're also trapped. I'm sure Frollo is going to have guards at every door so we can't escape"

"We'll find a way out. In the meantime, let's just catch our breaths and think of something" Hikari said.

The two of them walked around, looking at various sculptures and paintings. Hikari walked a bit until she saw a huge stain glassed mosaic that was built within the highest point of the Church.

The light coming through it poured out and coated the floor, making a masterpiece of its own. Hikari looked at the mosaic, recalling seeing something similar.

In a dream that felt very, very real.

_Hikari looked up and saw a small ball of light floating towards her. Smiling, she waved towards it, showing it was ok to come over._

"_Hey, cam you hear me?" she called out._

_The ball of light glowed, responding to her voice._

'_I heard your voice. It cut through the darkness around me' it said. _

_Hikari held her hands up and let the light rest within them. _

'_I almost though that hope was lost, that I would never see the ones I loved ever again…but then I heard you calling out to me. You gave me hope when I thought it was too late. You became my ray of light'_

_Hikari tilted her head._

"_I did?"_

'_Yes…but I'm afraid I have to go to sleep for a while'_

_Hikari looked at the light sadly._

"_You sound sad. Are you ok?"_

_The light chuckled._

'_No, just a little…lonely. Would it be ok…if I stayed with you for a tiny bit?'_

_Hikari smiled brightly_ _at the thought of helping someone._

"_Of course, you can!" she said._

"_If you're with me, I'll make sure you're never lonely again! We'll have lots of fun and do things where you won't have to think about being lonely again. We'll be best friends!" _

_The light glowed with happiness._

'_Thank you…maybe this is why…I made you my successor'_

_The light floated within Hikari's chest and merged with her heart. Hikari placed her hands over her heart and smiled contently. She was glad that she was able to help someone out._

Hikari closed her eyes as she placed a hand over her heart. She could still feel the warmth that light gave off. That soft, gentle warmth that made her feel safe.

"I'll keep you close. I'll keep you safe" she promised quietly.

Behind one of the pillars, Lulu watched her master with a very sharp eye.

/

After searching around the Church for a bit, the girls met up again.

"Did you find a way to get out of here?" Esmeralda asked.

Hikari shook her head sadly.

"All the doors I found lead to the outside but I'm sure Frollo has those guarded.

Esmeralda sighed tiredly.

"There has to be a way out of here"

Hikari looked around the Church, hoping to find someone.

"Maybe someone who tends to the Church would know" she said.

"I'm sure there's a secret passageway that only they would know about"

The sound of something dropping caught their attention. Turning they saw a disfigured man trying to pick up a torch that got knocked over.

"Hey you!" Esmeralda called out.

The man jumped at being spotted and quickly ran away.

"Wait, come back!" the gypsy cried.

She quickly ran after him going towards the upper part of the Church.

"Esmeralda, I don't think that's a good idea!" Hikari called out.

She quickly went after her, hoping that whoever this stranger was, was friendly.

/

Racing up hundreds of stairs, Hikari found herself up within the bell tower of the Church. Looking through the rafters, she spotted Esmeralda holding her hand out to someone.

"Esmeralda, you shouldn't run off like that" she scolded as she climbed up a nearby ladder.

"What if that was Frollo trying to take us outside so he could arrest us? You need to be more care- "

She stopped when she saw the disfigured man from before. He hid within the shadows as if he was afraid of them.

"Please don't be scared" Esmeralda said.

The man poked his head out from behind the curtain he was hiding in.

"W-who are you?" he asked.

Hikari took a step towards him, showing they meant him no harm.

"We're just taking refuge here in the Church for a bit. We mean no harm" she explained.

"I'm Hikari and this is Esmeralda. Who are you?"

"I-I'm Quasimodo. I'm the bell ringer for Notre Dame"

Well this was good news. If he worked here, then that meant he had to know a way out of the Church.

"Is that so? Do you think you could help us?"

Quasimodo looked shocked that someone wanted his help.

"M-me? You want my help?"

"Well, sure. Why wouldn't we?" Hikari asked.

Quasimodo was quiet for a moment before he finally revealed himself.

"Because I'm a monster. No one wants help from one"

The girls looked at him sadly. It seemed like someone told him he looked like a monster, making him nervous about his appearance. Whoever this person was, was the real monster.

Esmeralda gave the hunchback a gentle smile as she offered her hand.

"You're not a monster" she said.

"Yeah, you actually look adorable" Hikari added.

Quasimodo looked surprised. No one had ever said he didn't look hideous let alone adorable.

"R-really?"

The girls nodded.

"Now why don't you come over by us? We don't bite" Esmeralda teased.

Quasimodo smiled and walked over towards them. Hikari looked at the table that was near her and saw a bunch of wooden carving. It was like a mini replica of the town right in front of her.

"Did you make all of this, Quasimodo?"

The hunchback blushed as he nodded.

"I wish I had this kind of talent. It would pay better than dancing for coins" Esmeralda said.

Hikari looked around the room and noticed everything was filled with color and art. It was a stark contrast to the bottom portion of the Church.

"It's like you have your own little world up here" she said.

Quasimodo looked at his hands sadly.

"I can't go outside so I had to create my own version of it inside" he said.

Hikari looked at him sadly.

"Why can't you? Surely it's not because you work here is it?"

The hunchback shook his head.

"My master Frollo told me that I'm- "

"FROLLO?! You know him?!"

Quasimodo nodded in confusion.

"Y-yes, he's my master. He rescued me when my mother abandoned me as an infant" he explained.

Hikari and Esmeralda exchanged disgusted looks. So not only did Frollo have a problem with gypsies, he also didn't accept people who looked different either.

"Is something wrong?" Quasimodo asked.

"Frollo is the reason we're trapped here" Esmeralda said.

"He tried to arrest us because she's a gypsy and I used magic trying to save the town" Hikari explained.

"If we step out of the Church we're done for"

Quasimodo was shocked. He never expected his kind master to do something so extreme as to wanting to arrest two girls.

"I don't understand…why would he do such a thing?"

Hikari looked at him seriously.

"Because he's someone who wants things to be his way. If they're not perfect or to his liking, then they must be bad. That's why he wants to get rid of us…and why he wants you here in the Church"

Quasimodo flinched. She was right. Frollo always forbid him from leaving Notre Dame. He kept saying everyone was cruel and would see him as a monster. But deep down he knew it was because he didn't want to be associated with a monster.

Esmeralda went to him with pleading eyes.

"Can you please help us? We can't stay here locked up wondering when Frollo will leave us alone"

Quasimodo didn't say anything for a while which made them wonder if he would help them or not.

The sound of someone coming up the stone stairs alerted them that they were not alone. Summoning her key blade, Hikari jumped down to the main platform to go meet with their 'guest'.

"Stay here, I'll see who it is" she said.

'_If it's Frollo I'm going to disfigure him so bad that people think he's one the gargoyles for this church'_

Creeping down the stone steps, she kept an ear out for their intruder. Whoever this person was, they weren't going to know what hit them.

When she heard the steps grow closer, she went into action and slammed her Keyblade down on them, only for it to be blocked by a blade. She was shocked to see Captain Phoebus trying to fend her off.

"You?! What are you doing here?!" she exclaimed.

She suddenly realized that he was probably going to arrest her and grew mad.

"Oh no, you're not going to arrest me, buddy. I'll kick you down to the bottom of the church before I let you do that"

Phoebus gripped the side of the stairway when he saw Hikari was going to stay true to her threat.

"Easy, I'm not here to arrest you. I'm just here to talk"

"Yeah right, why should I believe someone who follows that Frollo creep?" Hikari spat.

"I made sure he didn't arrest you outside the Church, at least give me that" Phoebus pleaded.

Hikari gave him a hard gaze but lowered her Keyblade.

"Fine. You have five minutes to explain why you're here so make it fast"

"I didn't mean to have you, or Esmeralda trapped in here, but it was the only way to keep you safe from Frollo" Phoebus said.

"I wish there was more that I could have done but going against Frollo would have gotten me arrested too"

"I think that would have been better than acting like Frollo' s little pet" Hikari said.

Phoebus just sighed.

"Look I just came here to warn you about Frollo. He may abide to Notre Dame's law, but he isn't patient. If you two don't leave the Church grounds he'll end up making you and I'm sure you know what will happen after that"

Hikari narrowed her eyes at what Phoebus was implying.

"So, you basically want us to turn ourselves in, is that what you're saying?"

"No, what I'm saying is that if you think about leaving these grounds then make sure you don't get caught. Frollo has eyes everywhere" Phoebus warned.

Hikari raised an eyebrow at the Captain. This man was obviously Frollo' s lackey and yet here he was trying to help her.

"Why are you even helping us?"

Phoebus simply shrugged.

"I don't really know, but I can tell that you're a good person. Plus…it's just something that my heart is telling me to do"

Hikari cracked a smirk for the first time since seeing Phoebus.

"You should listen to it more. I would rather listen to that than what Frollo has to say"

Phoebus just shrugged as he slowly descended the steps.

"You never heard any of this from me" he warned.

"What? You mean that a Captain was helping criminals? As if anyone would believe that" Hikari teased.

Phoebus just waved as he went down the steps.

Hikari tilted her head as she thought of the Captain.

"Hmm, guess he's not such a bad person after all…although he isn't really sharp since he's following Frollo"

She quickly headed back up the steps where her friends were.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Esmeralda. We need to act fast before Frollo does anything"

Reaching back to the rafters, Esmeralda and Quasimodo looked at her with worry.

"Is everything alright?" Esmeralda asked.

Hikari thought back to Phoebus. There was no way Esmeralda would believe that the Captain was trying to help them, so she had to come up with a lie and fast.

"Those monsters from the square earlier are in the Church" she said.

It wasn't that big of a lie. The Nightmares seemed to appear just about anywhere so why would Notre Dame be off limits?

The gypsy paced around the room. "We're not safe in the city because of Frollo and we're not safe in Notre Dame from those monsters"

Hikari rubbed her neck. It seemed they were in a predicament. The Dream Eaters wouldn't be a problem for Hikari since she could get rid of them, but she worried for Esmeralda. She couldn't stay on this world forever. What would happen to the young gypsy if Frollo decided to drag her out of the church?

"Is there anywhere else that's safe besides Notre Dame? Somewhere that Frollo can't find you?"

Esmeralda was quiet for a moment but nodded.

"There is: The Court of Miracles. It's a secret haven for Gypsies. Only problem is that it's on the outskirts of town"

"And with Frollo guarding the church it'll be impossible to reach it" Hikari realized.

Quasimodo was quiet for a moment. He hadn't met these two for long, but they had been the first ones to not treat him like a monster. He didn't know why his master wanted to arrest them, but he couldn't let them be trapped here.

"I know a way out" He said.

The two girls looked at him seriously.

"You do? But how? Frollo has a guard at every door" Esmeralda said.

"We won't use a door" Quasimodo said cryptically.

He motioned towards the ledge of the building. The color drained from Hikari's face at what the Hunchback was implying.

"You mean we need to climb down?"

Quasimodo nodded.

"I know this church like the back of my hand. The guards won't be looking up, so this is the only way"

Hikari sighed wearily and looked at Esmeralda.

"It's your call. You wanna stay trapped here and risk Frollo trying to drag us out or do you wanna risk your life and climb down this tall building to freedom?"

Esmeralda looked over the ledge to see how far up they were before taking a shaky breath. She looked at the other two with a determined look.

"I'm willing to take that chance if it means that I'll be free"

"I can carry you down, but I can only do one at a time" Quasimodo said.

Lulu decided to make her presence known and nudged Hikari in the back. The young Keyblade wielder caught on what the Dream Eater was implying and jumped on her back.

"I have my own way of getting down, so I'll follow you"

Quasimodo went to Esmeralda and gently picked her up.

"Follow me"

Jumping over the ledge, the Hunchback slid down the roof before grabbing one of the statues and swung from them like they were monkey bars. Hikari followed closely as Lulu glided across the side of the building, staying close to Quasimodo.

Hikari gripped Lulu's neck as she peered towards the ground.

'_I'm getting flashbacks to when I had to ride carpet in Agrabah' _

They made it to the back of the Church where Quasimodo dropped near the ground.

"You should be able to get to the edge of the city if you stay in the back alleys" he explained.

He set Esmeralda down carefully and fiddled with his hands.

"Be careful out there"

Esmeralda smiled and gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Come with us" she insisted.

"Yeah, you've always wanted to see the outside world so here's your chance" Hikari offered.

Quasimodo shook his head as he stepped closer towards the Church.

"The outside world shouldn't see a monster like me. It's best if I stayed here"

Hikari looked at him sadly. "How do you know what everyone thinks? Just because Frollo said something doesn't mean that's what everyone else thinks" she said. "You shouldn't always listen to what people say. Sometimes…you just need to listen to your heart. It usually knows what to say"

Quasimodo gripped his shirt tightly, letting Hikari's words sink in.

Esmeralda pulled something from her dress and gave it to him.

"If you ever change your mind, use this. It'll point you to where you want to go"

Quasimodo took the trinket and tucked it into his pocket. They heard the guards approaching which alerted them that it was time to go.

"Come on. We have to go" Hikari said.

They two quickly ran through the back allies while Quasimodo sadly went back to Notre Dame.

/

When they made it to the outskirts of the city, Esmeralda lead them to an old graveyard.

"The Court of Miracles is hidden here. No one would ever think to look in a graveyard"

They went to a mausoleum where Esmeralda stopped.

"This is it" she turned to Hikari and motioned her to follow. "Normally, non-gypsies are forbidden from entering, but I can't let Frollo catch you because of me. You'll be safe here"

They carefully stepped inside the abandoned tomb that acted as a secret passageway. As they walked through the narrow path, Hikari clung to Riki Bat, trying to combat her fear of the dark. As they continued to walk, Esmeralda decided to break the silence.

"I'm really sorry you got caught up in all of this. I didn't mean to make you a target for Frollo"

Hikari shook her head as they continued walking.

"You did nothing wrong. Frollo seems to be the kind of person who would arrest just about anyone. I'm sure he would have arrested me simply because I said hi to him the wrong way or something stupid"

Esmeralda chuckled at that.

"I should thank you though. You really helped me out today. Not everyone would stick their necks out and help a Gypsy, let alone help them escape"

"Well none of them are as amazing as me" Hikari joked. "Besides, I'd always help a friend out if they were in trouble. It's what I always do"

They finally reached the Court of Miracles where the cavern was filled with light.

'_Finally, I can see where I'm going. I don't know how I'm going to make it back to the entrance though' _Hikari thought.

"We should be safe here. Frollo doesn't know of this place" Esmeralda said.

Hikari sat down and stretched her aching limbs. Now that she didn't have to worry about being chased around, she was finally able to collect her thoughts about this world.

'_This world seems very messed up when it comes to judging people. If you don't look like them or think like them then that means you're evil'_

She hugged her knees to her chest. The way Frollo thought and acted reminded her a lot about Organization XIII and Xehanort. They thought that darkness was the answer to everything and if no one followed their beliefs then they had no trouble vanquishing them to the darkness. If Sora, Riku and herself hadn't stepped in and stopped the Organization, then they would have harmed more worlds.

It was a difficult and dangerous task, but it paid off greatly…so far at least.

'_I wonder if that's what this world was trying to show me? In order to be a Master, you have to realize that the right choice is never going to be the easiest'_

"Am I making the right choice?" she whispered.

She was pulled from her musings when she heard a commotion.

"Esmeralda! Hikari!"

Phoebus and Quasimodo ran towards them, acting like their hair was on fire.

"What are you doing here?" Esmeralda asked in alarm.

"Phoebus and I came to warn you. Frollo' s on his way!" Quasimodo cried.

"Take what you can and leave" Phoebus added.

"Is nowhere safe from this madman?!" Hikari asked.

Phoebus held his hand out to them.

"We'll help you escape"

Hikari gave him a questionable look.

"What about Frollo? I thought you said you had to follow his orders?"

Phoebus gave them a lopsided smirk as he shrugged.

"I decided to listen to my heart. It said I was better off helping you than listening to Frollo"

Hikari smiled a little. It was nice to know that someone listened to what she said.

Before anyone could do anything, Nightmares surrounded them.

"Well done, Captain Phoebus"

Frollo approached them with an oily smirk on his face.

"Thankfully, you are every bit as predictable as I had hoped"

He turned to Quasimodo, giving him a dark smirk.

"Dear Quasimodo. I always knew you would someday be of use to me"

Quasimodo paled when he realized he was being used. Instead of helping his new friends, he walked them right into Frollo' s trap.

Hikari finally had it up to here with Frollo' s antics. Summoning her Keyblade, she went to strike the wicked judge down.

"You nasty, vile man!"

Before she could attack him, a Nightmare pinned her to the ground. Darkness oozed off Frollo as he looked at her and Esmeralda.

"I have you at last, you nasty witches"

He grabbed Esmeralda and pinned her arms behind her back, so she wouldn't escape.

"There's going to be a bonfire in the square and you two are the guests of honor"

Hikari thrashed around, trying to free herself from the Nightmare's clutches.

"You're never gonna get away with this! I won't let you"

Frollo chuckled darkly as the darkness around him grew.

"We'll see about that"

The Nightmare holding Hikari hit her on the head. She slumped forward as the world around her grew black.

/

When she came to, Hikari noticed something was very off. For starters she felt very, very warm. Secondly, she could smell smoke that was burning her throat. Groaning, she opened her eyes slowly to see fire was near her feet. Panicking she tried to move away from the flames but quickly realized that she was tied to a post.

'_Is Frollo really planning to burn me alive?!"_

She saw Esmeralda was tied next to her. The gypsy woman wasn't doing well. The smoke started to get to her and she couldn't stop coughing. If she inhaled anymore of it, it would lead to something much worse.

"I gotta get us out of here before we get burned alive"

Struggling to move her hands, she was able to summon her Keyblade with some difficulty and cast blizzard on the fire. With the flames gone, Hikari's next obstacle was to free both Esmeralda and herself from the post.

Luckily help was near cause no sooner had she thought that, Quasimodo had swung from Notre Dame and came to their rescue. He ripped the rope that tied them down and picked up Esmeralda's unconscious body.

"Is she going to be okay?" Hikari asked.

"She will be once she gets fresh air. We need to go inside the Church and get away from all this smoke" Quasimodo said.

They ran for the safety of the Church, only to be stopped by the Wargoyle Nightmare. Knowing there was no way to get around the beast, Hikari summoned her Keyblade and faced off against the Nightmare.

"Get Esmeralda to safety! I'll take care of this"

Quasimodo quickly fled into Notre Dame while Hikari tried to protect the city from the Wargoyle. If she thought the Hockomonkey was a challenge the Wargyole certainly proved her wrong. It had these massive wings and was able to fly all over the area, dodging Hikari's spells as she fried them. She was able to land a few hits when it dared to get close, but it was smart enough to stay back.

Hikari growled when it dodged one of her fire spells and flew around her.

"I'll never be able to get rid of this thing at this rate. If only I could use my Keyblade to throw at it or something"

Riki Bat and Lulu quickly appeared before her, ready to aid her. Glowing brightly, they turned into balls of light before merging together as one. When the light faded they revealed themselves to be transformed into a crossbow.

"You guys can transform into things?! That's amazing!"

Grabbing her Dream Eater turned weapon, she aimed it at the Wargoyle and fired an arrow at it. The arrow went through the Nightmare, causing it to cry out in agony. As it fell to the ground it dissolved into dark particles, never to be seen again.

With the danger gone, Riki Bat and Lulu reverted to their normal selves. Hikari smiled as she patted their heads.

"Now that's what I call teamwork"

The victory was short lived thought when she heard Esmeralda scream. Looking up at Notre Dame, she was horrified to see Quasimodo dangling from the tallest part of the church while Esmeralda held onto him for dear life. Frollo loomed over them with a crazed smile on his face as he held a sword high over his head.

Fearing the worst, Hikari quickly jumped onto Lulu and urged her to fly up to the top of Notre Dame.

Frollo laughed manically at the feared look in Esmeralda's eyes.

"And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit, forever!"

Just as he was about to strike them, Hikari flew up and kicked Frollo hard in the chest. The judge dropped his sword as he tried to regain his balance. He lost his footing on the statue he stood on and grabbed onto it at the last second. However due to the sudden weight and movement, the statue broke off, causing Frollo to fall into the fiery pit below.

Hikari wore a grim look on her face as she stared at where Frollo once stood.

'_He vanquished the wicked alright…too bad he didn't realize it was him this whole time'_

'Hikari, help!" Esmeralda cried.

She couldn't hold onto Quasimodo any longer and she was losing her grip fast. Hikari rushed over to her and tried to help pull Quasimodo to safety.

"Hang in there, Quasimodo!"

Tried as they could, the Hunchback's weight was too much for them and he slipped from their fingers. The girls screamed in horror as they watched their friend falling to his death. Yet as if by a miracle, he was saved as Phoebus grabbed him from a few stories down and pulled him to safety.

Relived to see Quasimodo safe, Hikari and Esmeralda rushed to the lower levels and met up with their comrades. Esmeralda pulled Phoebus and Quasimodo into a hug. With Frollo finally gone, they were finally able to feel freedom.

Hikari smiled softly at the scene. She was so glad that they didn't have to feel afraid anymore now that Frollo didn't have control over them. They were free to be themselves, free to do whatever their hearts commanded and free to experience new things.

It seemed that this world was finally at peace.

/

Walking towards the entrance of Notre Dame, Hikari looked at her companions.

"So, what happens now? You don't have to worry about Frollo anymore, so what are you guys gonna do?"

Esmeralda smiled brightly.

"I can finally live my life of freedom!"

"I'll do what is right and listen to my heart" Phoebus said.

"And I'll go see what the outside work is really like" Quasimodo said.

Esmeralda went up to Hikari and pulled her into a tight hug.

"None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you so much for setting us free"

Hikari returned the hug with gusto.

"Of course. I'll always be there when my friends need me"

When they broke the hug, she gave her new friends a warm smile.

"Now you guys go out there and enjoy your freedom!"

As the trio went outside, Hikari looked at the mosaic from before. Stepping close to it, she let the light dance across her face.

"To think that they almost perished before of Frollo" she said quietly. "If he had kept them prisoner for any longer, they might have ended up like him…just like he wanted"

"Hypocrite. You're no different from that corrupted judge"

Hikari whipped her head around to see the Mysterious Figure from Traverse Town approach her.

"You again?! What are you doing here?!"

The Mysterious Figure ignored her and pointed towards her heart.

"Your heart is just like this church. You may act and think it's a haven for troubled souls, but deep down you know it's no more than a prison, trapping lost souls from reaching their purpose"

Hikari glared daggers at him. Who did he think he was to call her a captor? Clearly, he didn't know what that was because there was no way that was her.

"I don't know where you came up with that idea but that's not me" she said. "I don't keep people hostage or prevent them from doing what they want. That's clearly you"

She turned away from him and looked back at the mosaic.

"And if I was keeping someone 'locked up', it wouldn't be for malicious reasons. If anything, it's to keep them safe from the bad things out there" she cast the Mysterious Figure a nasty look. "Like you"

The Mysterious Figure opened a Dark Portal behind him.

"Believe what you will, it makes no difference. You're nothing more than a walking vessel. Sooner or later those you are holding captive will break free and there will be nothing you can do to stop it"

Hikari summoned her keyblade and aimed it at him.

"Keep talking like that and I'll have no problem locking you up!"

They Mysterious Figure simply walked through the portal and closed it behind him.

"What a creep" Hikari sighed.

She looked up the mosaic again and let his words sink in.

'_My heart isn't a prison' _she thought. '_If anyone feels like they need help and need a place to hide, I'll always be there to keep them safe. Because that's what my heart it: a safe haven'_

/

**A/N: Soooooo did Hikari just kill someone?...we'll just call that self defense since Frollo tried to kill her first. Least she prevented a genocide from happening by doing that. **

**Damn, Hikari was on fire this chapter! She was not taking crap from anyone! Not from Frollo, not from Phoebus and certainly not from that mysterious figure. Say whatever you want to her guys, but Hikari isn't gonna fall for your bullshit! **

**It seemed Lumen really wants to show Hikari what happened. Is she trying to warn her about something or does she just want to show off Terra because she misses him? Guess we'll have to see as the story progresses. **

**Please tell me what you think!**

**Take care!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Notre Dame: Riku's Side

**A/N: We're back with Riku! Looks like it's his turn to visit Notre Dame. Let's just hope he doesn't have to kill Frollo like Hikari had to on her side lol.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my Oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

Gripping onto Hika's neck, Riku watched as the Dream Eater flew down to the newest world that was stuck in slumber. Looking at the buildngs, he noticed that the town was very old and seemed to be trapped within a different time period. This houses had thatched roofs while the roads were paved with cobble bricks. And the most noticeable part of the town was the giant catherdreal that stood in the heart of the town.

Riku thought it was a nice piece of architect bet he sensed something off about the place.

"Hey, Hika, think you can take us to that building? I wanna check something out"

Hika whinned before flying over towards the chuch to see what the commotion was about.

/

"Stop her!"

Esmeralda ran away from Phoebus and Frollo as they chased her down the streets. When she reached a dead end, she gave them a sly smirk before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Just as that happened, Riku walked towards the scene and saw Esmeralda secretly run past him.

Riku just shrugged and continued heading towards the church. When the smoke died away, Phoebus saw Riku and went up to him.

"You there! Have you seen a gypsy woman?"

Riku thought about the girl who ran past him before moments ago. He really didn't know what was going on, but he didn't want to interfere. He highly doubted his exam involved arresting people.

"Nope. Sorry" he said flatly.

Phoebus sighed in frustration. He had a feeling he was going to hear that.

"Alright, thanks"

He went back to Frollo to give him the bad news.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. We've lost her"

Frollo growled in frustration.

"Slippery vermin" he spat.

He gave Phoebus a nasty stare.

"I'm beginning to question having summoned you back from the war, Captain Phoebus"

He spun on his heel and walked away. Phoebus glared at the back of Frollo's head but followed after him.

When the coast was clear, Esmeralda came out from her hiding spot and approached Riku.

"Thank you. You stood up for me" she said.

"I'm Esmeralda"

Riku just nodded in greeting.

"Riku. I don't know how I helped since I don't know what a 'Gypsy' is to begin with"

Esmeralda frowned as she looked away.

"Judge Frollo has been hunting us for years" she explained. "We Gypsies are guilty of nothing but loving our freedom, yet Frollo hates whatever he can't control. Now he's even brought in fresh blood to tourment us. I'd hate to know what kind of darkness drives that man"

Riku didn't need to think too hard on that. He had seen men like that first hand way too many times.

"I think I can imagine" he said. "Tell me more, was he always like this?"

Esmeralda scoffed in disgust.

"I don't give Frollo much thought…but if you'd like, you could try Notre Dame. They say it's a place for answers"

Looking back at the church, it seemed Riku realized why he wanted to see it. Maybe it would give him clues about this Frollo guy, or maybe it could help him with his test.

'_Either way, hopefully I'll get some sort of answer'_

Motioning for Hika and Sunny to follow, the trio headed for the church in hopes of finding answers.

/

It was rather dark inside the church. With candles being the only source of light, the whole place gave off an ominous vibe.

Looking around the church, Riku tried looking for someone who would give him answers.

"Is anybody here?" he called out.

He heard some shuffling as someone peered from behind a column.

"Who…who are you" someone asked.

Riku turned to the source of the noise and walked towards it.

"I'm Riku" he introcuded.

The figure shuffled further behind the pillar as Riku grew closer.

"Oh. M-my name is Quasimodo. I'm very sorry, but the Archdeacon is away" Quasimodo said.

"Actually, I'm looking for a man named Frollo. Do you know where he is?" Riku asked.

Quasimodo poked his head out a little but made sure he was hidden.

"My Master? He said he had business on the outskirts of the city"

Riku raised an eyebrow. This was the second person he ran into who knew about Frollo. It seemed he was famous on this world.

"You mean you know him?" he asked.

Quasimodo nodded slowly.

"Oh yes, he's….he's very kind. Master Frollo saved my life. He protects me from the outside world"

Riku frowned at Quasimodo's choice of words.

"He 'protects' you from it?" he questioned.

Quasimodo was hesitant for a second but slowly stepped away from the coloumn he was hiding behind.

"The people out there would be cruel to me. I'm a monster you know" he explained.

While his features were quite different from others, Riku didn't see a monster. If anything he saw a person who was being controlled by a monster that feed him horrible lies. And he didn't need to think too hard on who that monster was.

"Is that what Frollo told you?"

When Quasimodo looked away that was all Riku needed for an answer.

"Trust me, looks can be deceiving" he said.

"A good friend sees you for who you are no matter what face you wear"

He couldn't help but think back when he was stuck in Ansem's body and how Sora and Hikari accepted him, despite looking like their enemy. They were able to see what was behind the face and see him for who he really was.

"You should go out there-find some friends who understand you"

Quasimodo shook his head frantically, not liking that idea.

"Oh no. My master forbids it. I'm not to step foot outside" he insited.

Riku tilted his head; a trait he seemed to have picked up from Hikari.

"Are you sure that's what's stopping you? Because I think something else is holding you back"

Quasimodo turned away, clearly showing he had enough of what Riku had to say. As he slowly walked away, he could hear Riku giving him one last piece of advice.

"Ask your heart, Quasimodo"

With that, the bell ringer went upstairs, not wanting to be seen by anyone else.

When he was by himself again, Riku sighed sadly.

"Wish I could follow my own advice" he said to himself.

'_Then again, if Hikari was here, she would know what to say'_

Hika went up to him and nudged his hand as if to say 'cheer up'. Riku smiled a little and rubbed her neck.

"Well, looks like we need to go to the edge of town to meet this Frollo guy. Might as well start heading there before he leaves"

The trio left the gloomy church in order to search for this mysterious Frollo.

/

Walking to the edge of town was a quiet experience for Riku. He never saw people walking the streets or came across any nightmares.

Hika huddled next to him as if not liking the atmosphere. Riku gave the Dream Eater a gentle smile as he patted her neck. It really was ironic how his Dream Eaters were acting like the two most important people in his life. Sunny tended to be protective but acted childish at times while Hika was gentle but had a fierce side when needed. Not only that she liked to be near Riku.

Even though he wasn't near Hikari or Taiyouko, he at least had some form of them with him.

When they reached the bridge that connected the outskirts of the town to the city, they found out why everything was quiet.

Flying in the sky was a large Wargoyle Nightmare.

"A Dream Eater! And a big one!"

The Wargoyle noticed the trio and started to attack. Riku hid behind a pile of boxes as the Nightmare swopped around the bridge.

"Oh, like this is fair" he said sarcastically.

He was at a disadvantage with being on a narrow bridge. He didn't have a lot of room to attack and if he dodged one of the Nightmare's attacks, then the bridge would be destroyed.

Jumping from his hiding spot, he made a run for it. He ran as fast as he could off the bridge while the Wargoyle flew off to the outskirts of the city. It seemed that it too had business there as well.

Running to Sunny, he jumped on the Ram's back and urged it to go faster.

"Come on! We need to go after it!"

The trio ran down the dirt road as they went after the Nightmare, hoping to stop it before it caused any trouble.

/

However trouble was already here as Phoebus aimed his sword at Frollo. The two of them were checking in on the local peasants to see if they had seen Esmeralda and the Captain couldn't take it anymore. If the Judge planned on harming innocent people for his own ambitions, he would not stand for it.

"Stand aside, Captain Phoebus" Frollo ordered.

When the judge went to step forward, Phoebus held his sword higher, showing he would hurt Frollo if he came any closer.

"What have these people done wrong?!" he demanded.

"I have proof this family gave harbor to gypsies!" Frollo spat. He acted like this was the worse crime to commit.

"That's not a crime! They haven't done anything wrong!" Phoebus insisted.

"I can think of few crimes that are greater" Frollo said.

Before Phoebus could attack, the Wargoyle appeared before them, hovering near Frollo.

"What demon is this?!" Phoebus said.

Frollo smiled darkly, darkness starting to ooze out of him.

"Oh, you are mistaken, Captain Phoebus. This is no demon, this is righteous judgement! I have been granted this power so that I may smite all gypsies now and forever!"

Phoebus looked at the judge in horror. Just how far did Frollo plan to make this madness real?

"This is all wrong!" he insisted.

Riku rode up to them and jumped off Sunny to aim his keyblade at Frollo. After seeing how he treated people like Quasimodo and Esmeralda, and how he planned to use the Wargoyle, he came to his own conclusion of what kind of person Frollo really was.

"He won't listen" he said. "Once you've fallen that far, there's no coming back"

"How dare you?" Frollo spat.

"I am a virtuous man. Good and evil shall be made plain…once the gypsies face the fires of judgement!"

Phoebus went to attack Frollo, hoping to stop the judge's plans once and for all. When he was about to strike, the Wargoyle knocked him out of the way.

Frollo laughed wickedly as he and his little companion left to give 'judgement' towards the gypsies.

Riku went to Phoebus and helped him sit up. While he was just an underling for Frollo, the captain had a good heart and wasn't swayed by the darkness.

"You alright?"

Phoebus groaned but nodded as he stood up.

"Thanks. I gotta tell you, this is embarrassing…having to rely on a kid"

Riku chuckled a little as he thought of Taiyouko. When they traveled together, nine times out of ten he was the one who was helping her. It didn't matter that she was the adult and he was the kid, that was just the sort of friendship they had.

"You wouldn't be the first." He said. "You should take it easy. I'll deal with Frollo"

Phoebus was hesitant at the idea but couldn't help but agree.

"I'll admit, you look more capable than me right now" he admitted.

"All right, be careful. It looks like that creature is heading for the cathedral"

Riku nodded before jumping back on Sunny.

"Alright guys, back to the cathedral"

The trio ran back for the bell tower, hoping to stop Frollo from fulfilling his plans.

/

The whole city was up in flames from Frollo's destruction. In order to get rid of the gypsies, he planned to wipe them out all at once- including the city and the citizens who lived there.

Riku knew he was fighting against time before the whole city burned to ashes. When he reached the bell tower he was alarmed to see Quasimodo holding Esmeralda in his arms. Had Frollo gone that far with his 'judgement'?

"Is she going to be alright?"

Esmeralda nodded slowly, trying to fight off the smoke that tried to fill her lungs.

"I'm fine, thanks to Quasimodo"

Riku looked relieved to hear that. Now he could focus on the cause of the danger.

"Quasimodo, where did the creature go?" he asked.

The hunchback looked at the bell tower sadly, knowing his master was responsible for this.

"It's…it's up there" he said.

Riku nodded in understanding before taking off for the cathedral. Quasimodo looked at the ground for a moment before looking at Riku determinedly.

"W-wait…wait, I'll go with you!"

This was his master's fault and felt the need to fix it. Frollo had wronged him for so long and wouldn't stand for it anymore.

Riku stopped running and looked at Quasimodo. He could understand that the Hunchback's intentions were pure but he didn't need to be dragged in this further. He needed to get far away from Frollo's madness.

"Thanks, but stay with Esmeralda, she needs your help the most right now" he said.

He turned away from them and gave the Hunchback one last parting question.

"Quasimodo, did your heart have the answer?"

With that, he ran inside to stop Frollo once and for all.

/

With the Wargoyle close by, that meant the Nightmare's were drawn to its power. The whole cathedral was overrun with them and Riku wondered how he was going to get rid of them quickly.

Fortunately, some very unlikely allies were near as a trio of living gargoyles went about destroying them.

"Well, I guess….you three got this covered" Riku joked.

"It was a walk in the park" Hugo the gargoyle exclaimed.

"How would you know? You don't have any legs" Victor said.

"Yeah but-aw, gimmie a break! It's just a figure of speech!"

"Both of you, pipe down!" Verne the female gargoyle said.

"And get ready! Cause here come some more!"

The trio of stone statues went to defend the cathedral which gave Riku the chance to take care of the Wargoyle.

Running up the stone steps, he could feel the power of darkness growing stronger with each step he took.

'_Frollo's heart is drenched in darkness. It's like it's trying to suffocate him' _he thought.

He needed to end this fast before it got any worse. Those who were drenched in Darkness ended up suffering terrible fates.

When he finally made it to the top of the bell tower, he saw Frollo standing near the edge, laughing at the destruction he caused.

"Yes! Let it burn! The flames will consume everything!" He cackled.

"You see? This is the power that has been granted to me!"

Riku glared at the judge darkly. He just about had enough of his so called ideal of purity.

"All I see is a sad old man with a dark heart" he spat.

Frollo growled as the darkness continued to consume him and eat away at his heart.

"Again, you are wrong! Now you will be judged like the rest!"

In a final act of madness, he threw himself off the bell tower to be eaten by the flames.

"Judgement is mine!" he cried as the flames consumed him.

Riku looked away painfully from the scene. Once again another soul ended tragically because of the darkness.

"Such a pity, but then again he didn't have any potential"

Riku's blood ran cold as he heard that voice. It was a voice he hoped he wouldn't have to hear ever again.

Turning around slowly, he saw the mysterious figure standing with Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness.

"Ansem! Why are you here?!"

"Your best friend is never far" the mysterious figure taunted.

Ansem 'tsked' sadly at the scene before him.

"So sad. The post of yielding to the darkness" he cooed.

Riku growled knowing he was taunting him about almost becoming his puppet. To this day it still made him shiver to think he could have ended up like Ansem or even worse, Xehanort.

"I'm sure you could write a book about that" he spat.

Ansem laughed, knowing he hit a nerve with Riku.

"But I embraced the Darkness-and unless you hurry up and learn to do the same, your story will end just like his"

Riku growled and summoned his Keyblade.

"I walk the road to dawn!" he declared.

The Mysterious figure scoffed in disgust.

"Still afraid of the dark I see" he said.

"I wonder how your story is going to end with the path you've decided to take. Will it be happy or tragic?"

With that, he opened a dark portal that he and Ansem went through, leaving Riku alone.

Placing a hand over his heart, Riku could feel it beating frantically.

"He's think's I'm afraid of the dark?" he asked himself.

Gripping the fabric of his shirt, he shook his head, throwing away the doubts that filled his mind.

"No, not while I have the Keyblade. It will guide me to the light and lead me to my story's happy ending!"

With that, he aimed his Keyblade at the Wargoyle, ready to show this creature what he said was true. The Wargoyle used it's wings to its advantage. It would fly out of Riku's range of attacks and could fly overhead for a counter attack.

Riku fired off a few spells that he knew but they worked to no avail. It was a reminder that Hikari was more adapt to magic than both Sora and he were.

Changing his battle plan, he moved further into the bell tower where he wasn't out in the open and where the Wargoyle didn't have a lot of room to move around. This didn't phase the Nightmare since it just slammed its claws into the building, hoping to smash Riku in the process.

Sunny fended the Nightmare off with its defensive magic but it was quickly showing that the ram couldn't hold out for much longer. Riku dove behind a pillar when a claw slammed into the ground. He needed to end this fast before it destroyed the bell tower.

Hika hovered near Riku, waiting for his next command. Since Sunny was busy keeping the Wargoyle at bay, the Pegaslick was focused on keeping Riku safe.

Riku racked his brain with ideas to get rid of this Nightmare but the only one he could think of was aiming for the head. The only problem was trying to reach it when said creature could fly. Turing to Hika, he figured the Pegaslick would be able to do it since it was the only Dream Eater here that could fly.

"HIka, think you can fly me up to the Nightmare's head?"

Hika tilted her head in confussion.

"Fly, you know like what you did back in Traverse Town? I need to reach for the creature's head"

Hika looked deep in thought for a moment before doing something unexpected. In a flash of magic, the Pegaslick merged within Riku's heart and caused wings to sprout from his back. Riku looked at the wings in shock. He didn't realize his Dream Eaters could do that.

"Now what I had in mind but I'll take it"

Using his new found power, he scaled the walls of the building and flew over the Wargoyle's head.

"Now you'll have a taste of judgement!"

Striking the Nightmare down, Riku watched as the Wargoyle let out a cry before falling down into the flames.

Riku looked over the ledge deep in thought. He could have ended up like Frollo if he had stayed with the Darkness. He would have lost everything to power. Seeing what could have happened to him made him grateful that his friends were able to stop it.

"I won't let history repeat itself. Now as long as I have the Keyblade"

/

With the Wargoyle and Frolo gone, Notre Dame was at peace. The flames of destruction vanished and a new, freer life rose from its ashes.

Quasimodo finally saw that he wasn't a monster and that he had friends who saw him for who he really was.

"Master Frollo-he made me live inside the bell tower, but the real walls were the ones I built around my heart" he admitted.

"You helped me see that, Riku"

Riku looked away shamefully, feeling like he didn't desrve the praise.

"I was…speaking from…personal experience" he said quietly.

Once upon a time he too had walls around his heart. He didn't want to show his friends how weak his heart was of that he was willing to do anything to see other worlds. Even going to far as to side with the darkness.

"I'd say you still keep a locked inside" Phoebus said.

"We all do that sometimes" Esmeralda admitted.

"There are just some things we need to keep separate from the world at large, at least until we have time to figure them out"

Riku nodded in agreement.

"I do have a lot of things locked up, and maybe some of them will stay there forever, but…as long I have friends who understand me and are willing to take the time to help me understand everything….then I have nothing to worry about"

"Then that's all that matters" Esmeralda said.

Riku smiled then turned to Quasimodo. He wanted to give the hunchback a few words to think on as he began his new life.

"Even if your heart is still hiding behind some walls, you don't have to be afraid. You have friends now who see you for who you really are and will help you become the person you wish to be. You're not a monster, Quasimodo, so let the world see it"

Quasimodo looked at his hands, actually seeing human hands for the first time. Riku was right, he wasn't a monster and it was time for him to show it.

"Thank you, Riku"

Riku just smiled and turned to his Dream Eaters.

"Alright guys, looks like our work here is done. Now we can just-hey wait….where's Sunny?"

Looking around for the Ram, Riku found Sunny near the steps of the cathedral. The poor thing had it's ears back as Hugo the gargoyle tried making a move on her.

"So, I was wondering if you were free by any chance? I thought we could have dinner and maybe get to know each other"

Sunny back kicked the statue into the cathedral where Hugo had hearts in his eyes.

"Oh, I like 'em feisty!"

Feeling disturbed, Sunny ran to Riku, where she hid behind him and shivered. Riku couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to make some friends?"

Sunny glared at him and headbutted him in the back.

"I'm kidding. Now let's head out before he asks for your number or something"

They bid farewell to their new friends while Hugo shouted 'Call me" to Sunny.

As they walked away from the cathedral Riku had a lot of thoughts on his mind. He wondered why Ansem was with that mysterious person and why they were so bent on him joining the darkness. His path was not the same as theirs and he intended to keep it that way.

"_I know the road my heart walks' _He thought.

He picked up Hikari's necklace and smiled gently as his fingers wrapped around it.

"_And…I know who I want to share that path with'_

/

"_Hey, Axel. You haven't forgotten right?"_

_Axel looked at Roxas with a popsicle stick hanging from his mouth. _

"_What?"_

_Roxas smirked as he shook his head._

"_You made a promise" he said._

"_I did?"_

_Roxas nodded._

"_That you'd always be there…to bring us back"_

_Axel smiled a little as he remembered that promise._

'_Yeah…best friends forever"_

_Roxas stared off into the sunset, enjoying the peace that was rarely felt these days._

"_Yep, so you need to look after Ankoku for me since I can't be there for her. She'll probably refuse the help, but I know deep down she needs it."_

_Axel snorted as he thought of a certain foul mouthed Nobody._

"_Ankoku was always headstrong…even for a Nobody" he admitted._

_Roxas nodded in agreement. He suddenly turned to his best friend with a bright smile on his face._

"_Yeah…and 'she's' also waiting for you too"_

_Axel looked at Roxas as if he lost his mind._

"_Huh?"_

_Roxas clasped his shoulder. The scenery slowly growing dark._

"_She's waited for you long enough. Don't keep her hanging"_

/

The first thing that came to Axel's mind was that he was resting on a cold floor. Groaning in discomfort, he painfully tried to will himself to wake up.

"Where…where am I?"

The last thing he remembered was fading into darkness after he helped Sora and Hikari make it to Xemnas's strong hold. And with that the memories came pouring out of him.

Memories of the Organization, of Roxas and Ankoku and when he was Lea poured into his head. But the ones that came to the forefront of his mind was of a certain raven haired beauty who was as alluring and mysterious as the moon.

Someone who Axel cherished so deeply that he willingly scarified himself so that she would be safe.

"Tsukiko!"

Springing to his feet, he found himself in Ansem the Wise's compute lab.

'_How did I get here?' _he thought.

Before he could take another stepp, he panicked when he saw his reflection in one of the lab's windows.

Rushing towards the glass, he touched the spot where the marking under his eyes were. Pulling his hand away he saw that they were gone. Another thing he noticed was the sudden beating within his chest. Pressing a hand there, he was shocked to feel a heartbeat.

It seemed that Axel was not Axel anymore. He was human again. He was Lea.

"I'm…me again"

He couldn't believe this. He never realized that he would have returned to his normal self after his Nobody had vanished. It had been so long since he had been Lea that it almost felt like a dream.

When he heard noises behind him he was surprised to see that he wasn't the only one who returned to his normal self.

"Dilan, Aeleus, Even, Ienzo…we're people again"

It seemed those who had suffered from Xehanort's experiments were back to their normal selves…well almost everyone.

"Where are Braig and Isa? They should be here too" he wondered.

He didn't like the gut wrenching feeling his heart was giving him as he thought of those two.

If they weren't here then where were they?

As he looked back at his reflection, he thought of two other individuals that he didn't see. The ones he promised he would be there for.

"Where did Ankoku and Tsukiko go?"

/

**A/N: Axel's back, Bitches! That's right, your second favorite couple of the series is about to make its return! It's really sweet that the first person he thinks of when he comes to is his sweetheart, Tsukiko. I just know she's going to be beyond happy and relieved that her boyfriend is back and not really dead. Ankoku on the other hand might kill when she finds out that he really is back and scared them like that lol. **

**Seems like Ansem the Seeker of Darkness is back to give Riku trouble. Luckily Riku isn't foolish enough to go back to him again. He's got important things he needs to protect after all. **

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Take care!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Grid- Hikari's Side

**A/N: I gotta say this was probably my least favorite world to visit when I played this game. Mainly because I vaguely remember the film and because I just didn't like how they handled Sora's side of the story since he knows Tron. Oh well I'll just fix it with my version lol.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Heart's, I just own my Oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

_No matter what happens I will always, always love you_

A lot can happen to a person in a year. At least that's what Tsukiko thought. Who would have thought that the girl from Twilight Town would go from just a simple city girl to one that fell in love with a Nobody when it was claimed that Nobodies couldn't love, befriend Roxas and Ankoku, finding out that she herself was a Nobody which made the theory of Nobodies not being able to love sound even more ridiculous to being one of the heroes to saved the worlds from darkness.

Surely she didn't and yet that's what happened.

After Xemnas was defeated and the Organization destroyed, Taiyouko offered to send her back to Twilight Town so she could go back to her normal life.

There was no going back to normal after everything she saw. Not only that but that world held so many precious memories of a certain redhead she loved deeply. A redhead that no longer existed.

Twilight Town wasn't the same without Axel there. She couldn't watch the sunset without thinking of him, or eat a Sea Salt Ice Cream and not think about sitting up on the Clock Tower eating it with him.

With a heavy heart, she decided to leave Twilight Town and went to live on the Islands with Hikari and the others. It wasn't so bad. The island they lived on was nice and quaint while the people were friendly. A stark contract from the bustling world of Twilight Town, but a nice contrast.

Not only that, Taiyouko was able to give Hikari's Nobody, Ankoky a heart so she could exist as her own self. Having the stubborn, foul mouthed Nobody was a welcoming distraction. She had a familiar face with her on the islands and Ankoku kept her distracted from thinking about Axel.

Even after a year, her heart still ached over the loss of her beloved. Not a day went by where she didn't recall how he sacrificed himself so she would be safe from the Organization. It was a noble sacrifice but a painful one. She made sure he was remembered daily by changing a few things about herself. No more was her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Instead her ravenous locks tumbled down her neck while she styled some of them to flare out a bit to look like her boyfriend's spikes. Her clothing consisted of warm colors that went on the border of being risqué looking-symbolizing the alluring, tempting way fire tends to do to a person.

Yes, these little changes didn't fill the gap in her heart, but they made the pain go away slightly. It tried to mend over time, but she knew deep down it would never be the same. Like all fragile things, all it took was a simple poke to shatter the most delicate of structures.

The King had sent a letter to the group saying that Xehanort was returning and that Sora, Riku and Hikari needed to see Yen Sid about something. Thinking about that madman made all the memories that she buried within her heart come back to the surface.

Memories of Taiyouko suffering, of Roxas having to return to Sora, of Axel…..it seemed that Xehanort wouldn't stop until everyone knew what it was like to feel pain.

Well, she wasn't going to let him get that satisfaction. That was why she found herself at Disney Castle with Taiyouko and Queen Minnie. Since King Mickey took Donald and Goofy with him to bring Sora, Riku and Hikari to Yen Sid, he asked the two of them to protect his wife. It was a honor and a good distraction for her not to think about Xehanort.

Staring out the window that faced the garden, she sighed.

'_When is this madness gonna end?' _she thought.

"You ok, there?"

Turning around, she saw Taiyouko approach her. She had to admit it, the sorceress was one hell of a woman. Not only was she Hikari's mother, but she was one of the few people who managed to get the upper hand on Xehanort. Not only that, she gave her and Ankoku a heart so they wouldn't have to suffer the fate that came to Nobodies. Taiyouko was surely one of a kind.

The sorceress tilted her head as she studied her Nobody.

"You're thinking about what's going on again, aren't you?"

Tsukiko snorted as she looked back at the garden.

"Kinda hard not to when the King sends a letter saying Xehanort might be coming back. It's like that man is a cockroach. You can never kill him"

Taiyouko laughed weakly as she joined her Nobody by the window.

"That's one way to describe him"

Tsukiko studied her a bit as well. It was a low blow for Taiyouko to hear that Xehanort was coming back. Out of all of them, she suffered the most at the hands of that man.

"So how are you holding up? I'm sure this isn't easy for you either"

Taiyouko gripped the window ledge tightly to the point where her knuckles turned white.

"As if there's an easy way of processing the fact that the man who made me loose everything is coming back. Thanks to him I lost my baby brother and father, he tried to use my daughter who now has to fight him and put one of my dearest friends into a deep…."

She closed her eyes as she thought of Lumen and how she was nowhere close to saving her.

"It's not easy, but I'm trying to will myself into making it so"

Tsukiko looked ahead, not really paying attention to the scenry.

"Guess this isn't easy for any of us…kinda makes you wonder if those three have what it takes to stop Xehanort"

Taiyouko sighed as she looked at the ground.

"As their companion and mother figure I wanna say they do…but knowing Xehanort I'm wondering if they can" she admitted.

"I just don't know what to believe these days"

"I believe in them"

Taiyouko and Tsukiko turned to seen Queen Minnie approach them.

"I may have not known them for as long as you both have but I believe they can stop him" she said.

"From what the King has told me and from what I've seen, those three will be the ones who will save everyone that has suffered at Xehanort's hands. We just need to believe in them and support them as best as we can"

The two women looked at the Queen for a moment before looking at each other. Minnie was right; they had to be strong and show that they were there for Hikari and the others now more than ever. They would have to be the ones who faced him so it was up to them and everyone else to show that they believed in them and would help them no matter what.

"Queen Minnie is right, those three will be able to handle this" Tsukiko said.

"They've stopped him before twice already, so this should be a walk in the park"

Taiyouko smiled softly.

"Yes, you're right"

Minnie smiled, glad that she was able to help on the home front. She may not have had a dangerous task like King Mickey, but she would be damned if she didn't help in some sort of way.

This was everyone's fight now.

"Oh yeah, why did the King send those three to Yen Sid? He never really explained anything only that it was urgent" Tsukiko asked.

Minnie looked at the ground as she frowned.

"To be honest I'm not really sure" she said.

"All I know is that it had something to do with Jiminy's journals and the message that was in it"

"Message?" Taiyouko asked.

Minnie nodded.

"Yes, apparently there was a hidden note that Jiminy never wrote down. When the King found out and figured out the hidden meaning behind it, he went to Yen Sid claiming it might be a clue to helping someone" she said.

So many thoughts ran through Taiyouko's mind as ideas and theories played out. There was only one person she could think of that needed their help more than anyone and she knew this person all too well. Surely this wasn't a coincidence. She wouldn't know unless she saw.

Putting on a fake smile she looked a Minnie sweetly.

"Is that journal still here by any chance? Perhaps if we looked at it, it might give us a clue on how to help Hikari and the others"

Minnie nodded as she started walking away.

"It's in the King's study, follow me"

The two women followed Minnie towards Mickey's study. Tsukiko looked at Taiyouko with narrowed eyes.

"What brought this up all of a sudden?" she asked,

Taiyouko looked serious as she stared ahead.

"I need to get to the bottom of something"

When they reached the King's study, Minnie went over to Mickey's desk and picked up the journal.

"Here it is. He found the message near the back of the journal. I don't know what it means but it seemed important to the King"

Taiyouko accepted the journal and flipped it towards the last page. The sentence she saw made her spine tingle.

_Her slumbering will cease when you bring her back together._

Tsukiko peered over to read what the journal said with a raised eyebrow.

"Who is this 'she' that it's talking about?"

"Lumen…it's talking about Lumen" Taiyouko muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Tsukiko asked.

Taiyouko ignored her and looked at Minnie urgently.

"I know who this journal is talking about and from what you told me about the King's reaction, he does too! I need to speak with the King to see what he knows"

"Oh? Surely you wouldn't mind sharing that information with all of us? It would be so rude not to:

Paling at the sound of a familiar voice, the three turned to see none other than Pete and Maleficent appear out of a dark portal.

The dark sorceress smiled evilly as Diabo rested on her shoulder.

"Hello beasties"

/

The next world Hikari arrived to was one that looked very familiar to her. Everything appeared to be digitalized and futuristic. Not only that but her outfit had changed as well to the one she wore when she went into Ansem's computer.

"This outfit…I'm in Tron's world!"

Looking at everything around her, she noticed that Space Paranoids was a lot different from when she was here last time.

"Looks like Tron made a few upgrades since last time. Then again, I'm sure he would since he's in control of Ansem's computer"

She noticed a strange looking ship fly over her as it slowly glided through the programed city.

"Those are new. Wonder if that was part of Tron's upgrade?"

Wondering if Tron was on that ship, she quickly followed it. The thought of seeing her programed friend made her happy. She hadn't seen Tron since she defeated Xemnas and she wanted to let him know how everything was going.

'_Maybe he still has data on Xehanort from the DTD? That could really help us with the exams' _she thought.

As soon as she thought of that, she stopped in her tracks. She was supposed to be in the sleeping realms so why was Tron's world here? She could understand Traverse Town being in the sleeping realm since it was a world stuck within realms, but Tron's world was a program…a program that was within a computer in one of the worlds residing in the realm of light.

"Computer based worlds can't dream…can they?"

She saw the ship starting to descent up ahead. Now having questions that needed answers, she went after the ship in the hopes that it would provide what she was looking for. When she reached the ship she saw a group of masked guards stepping out and searching the perimeter. That didn't settle well with Hikari. Why would Tron need to have guards when he was in control of everything?

The guards spotted her and marched towards her.

"State your handle, program" they ordered.

Hikari took a step back, not liking that they were getting close.

"I'm not a program. I'm a User. My name's Hikari"

That seemed to be the wrong answer cause the guards pulled out their weapons and aimed them at her.

"Strag program recognized. Isolate for quarantine"

One of them grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her towards the ship.

"Let go of me!" she cried.

She quickly whistled and summoned her Dream Eaters to help. Lulu head butted the guard that was holding her while Riki Bat slapped his wings at the other guards head.

Being free, Hikari jumped on Lulu's back and rode away from the guards.

"After her!"

Hikari simply urged Lule to go faster so the guards wouldn't catch them. She almost got arrested on the last world she was on, she didn't want to get arrested on this one as well.

/

When they felt like they weren't being chased anymore, Lule stopped in an open area.

"Boy that was close" Hikari sighed.

"Something is very wrong here. It's like when the MCP tried to take over the whole system…why would Tron let that happen?"

She had to get to the bottom of this. If Tron was letting things get out of hand then it was obvious he needed help.

She started walking, knowing that standing around wouldn't solve anything.

"Wonder where Tron would be? This place is like a maze with everything looking the-"

She brought her Keyblade up to her face when she saw a disc come flying towards here. Instead of falling to the ground, it bounced off her blade and zipped back to where it came from.

A masked guard caught it and went into a fighting stance, showing that they were ready to attack again.

"Damn, they caught up to me"

Hikari quickly went into a fighting stance as well and squared off with the guard. If she was going to get arrested again, she was going to put up a fight.

The guard got a better look at her Keyblade and tilted its head slightly. Looking at the weapon and Hikari for a few more seconds, the guard put the flying disc away and ran off.

Hikari raised an eyebrow and scratched her neck.

"Well that was unexpected" she muttered.

"Hey you there"

Hearing new voices, Hikari turned to see the characters Quorra, Flynn and Sam approach her. Like her, they were dressed the same way as a User, so it was obvious that they weren't associated with the masked guards.

Quorra gestured towards the Keyblade that was still in Hikari's hand.

"That weapon, can I see it?" she asked.

HIkari looked at her Keyblade and shrugged.

"You mean my Keyblade? I guess"

She held it up so they could see it better. She didn't have to worry about them stealing it since it would just go right back to her, so there was no harm in showing it.

Quorra looked at the weapon in awe and marvel.

"This is just incredible" she breathed.

"What a program-the weapon and the wielder"

Hikari chuckled as she dismissed her Keyblade.

"Oh, I'm not a program. I'm Hikari, I guess I'm what you would call a User…or at least that's what Tron called me"

That caught Flynn's attention.

"You know Tron?!"

"Well…yeah, I guess. He's one of my friends" Hikari said like it was obvious.

Flynn sighed wearily. It seemed that their situation was getting messier by the minute.

"Listen, that program you just saw…that was Tron"

Hikari felt her blood grow cold. Tron was really here and something was going on with this world.

"What happened to him?! He wasn't like this when I last saw him"

Flynn turned away as he stared off into the distance, reflecting over what happened.

"Tron used to be a good friend" he said.

"Together, we created this place, The Grid…but then CLU staged a coup. I was exiled and…Tron wound up getting derezzed…or so I thought"

He looked back at them looking wearier than before.

"CLU made him into a new program called Rinzler. That's the thing about programs. Mess with the code just a little and a memory can change"

Hikari gripped the fabric of her top tightly. How could this happen to Tron? He had done so much for her and helped turn Radiant Garden back to what it once was. To find out that her friend was being controlled like a puppet broke her heart.

"Tron" she whispered.

"I had a feeling something was off about this world…there's no way Tron would have let things end up like this…"

She looked at Flynn with a determined look, knowing she had to do something.

"If there's a way to help change him back I'm more than willing to help. He's helped me in the past so now it's my turn"

Flynn smiled a little for the first time since meeting Hikari.

"I think I'm gonna like you, kid" he said.

He rubbed his chin in thought, wondering if there was a way.

"If we're lucky, CLU kept a backup of Tron's source code. He's a program after all. He'd be methodical like that"

"So all we have to do is get this 'source code' from CLU and use it to fix Tron?" Hikari asked.

"That's the idea" Flynn nodded.

Hikari nodded in satisfaction.

"Then that's all I need to know" she started walking away and tried to form a plan on fixing Tron.

"Where are you going?" Flynn called out.

"To find the source code" Hikari said.

"I take it this CLU program has it so I might as well start with him"

"Do you even know where he is?"

Hikari shook her head as she continued to walk.

"No, but I'm not gonna find him by just standing here"

Quorra chuckled seeing the baffled look on Flynn's face.

"What a strange User. You're nothing like Sam of Flynn"

Hikari finally stopped and gave the program a lopsided smile.

"What can I say? I'm one of a kind"

Quorra was quiet for a moment before she finally decided on something.

"Come on, Hikari. I'll show you the way"

Flynn and Sam were shocked when they saw her walk towards Hikari.

"Quorra, we have to keep moving" he insisted.

"What are you gonna do if Rinzler attacks?" Sam added.

Quorra stopped when she reached Hikari and looked at her companions.

"If we're in a hurry, we need to take care of Rinzler first" she reasoned.

Hikari nodded and gave the guys a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, we can handle Tron"

Flynn sighed wearily, knowing he wasn't going to win this battle.

"Very well. Do what you can. Maybe you can help Tron"

With that, he and Sam headed off to continue with their mission.

Quorra looked at her new User companion with curiosity.

"It's just the two of us then. You ready, Hikari?"

Hikari nodded and pumped her fist.

"You better believe it"

Quorra chuckled and started walking again.

"CLU should be at the helm of his battleship, the Rectifier. We can get there with a Solar Sailor from the underground docks"

They headed towards the docks, hoping that CLU foolishly did have a backup of Tron's data on hand.

/

Meanwhile on the Rectifier, CLU was viewing the data Rinzler had gathered when he encountered Hikari.

"So this is a Keyblade?"

He closed the disc and handed it back to Rinzler.

"Keep an eye on this one. She might be perfect for our little tournament"

Rinzler nodded and walked away. When he was away from CLU, he activated the data again to see Hikari's image. The girl looked familiar but he couldn't recall seeing such a program.

Even so, seeing her image made him lower his head sadly. He didn't like the thought of CLU using her for one of his little 'games'.

/

Back with Hikari and Quorra, the two girls were able to make it to the underground station. They ran into a couple of CLU's guards and Nightmare's, but they were easily taken care of.

They were able to get on one of the Solar Sailors without any trouble and had it take them to CLU's ship.

Hikari flopped down on one of the seats and ran a hand through her hair.

"I hope we can find Tron's source code fast. I don't like the idea of him being used like this"

Quorra looked at her with innocent curiosity.

"Why do you want to help him so badly?" she asked.

Hikari looked at her dumbfounded, wondering why she would ask such a silly question.

"He's my friend. Why wouldn't I help him?" she said obviously.

"But he's a program. He's not a user like you" Quorra pointed out.

"Why would that matter? Friends are friends no matter who or what you are. User, Program, duck, dog, mouse, as long as you share a bond with one another that's all that matters. Tron helped me out in the past and now it's my turn to help him. That's just what friends do"

She looked at her lap somberly as she thought of something.

'_If I can't help a friend that I know then how can I help Lumen and her friends?' _she thought.

Quorra chuckled quietly.

"You really are a fascinating User"

She looked up and saw they made it to CLU's battleship.

"We're here"

They quickly got off the ship and headed inside CLU's ship.

"Hang on, Tron. I'm gonna fix this"

/

Sneaking onto the main bridge, the girl's searched high and low for Tron's source code. After a while, Quorra sighed in frustration.

"It's not here. CLU must have it with him"

Hikari groaned in frustration.

"I shouldn't be surprised. With something that important, there's no way he would leave it just laying around"

"Maybe we should try somewhere else?" Quorra suggested.

"Might as well. It's not here so there's no point staying here"

They headed for the door, only for it to open on itself. Standing before them was Tron or as he was now known, Rinzler.

Quorra pulled out her disc and went into a fighting stance. Hikari held up her hand, signaling her to stop.

"Let me try talking to him"

She slowly approached Tron and offered him a soft smile.

"Tron…do you know who I am?" she asked.

"It's me, Hikari. Sora, Donald, Goofy and I helped you get rid of the MCP and put Ansem's computer back to normal. You helped turn Rardiant Garden back to what it once was. Don't you remember?"

Tron was quiet as he stood motionless. Then just like a switch, he quickly pulled out his disc and threw it at her. Quorra got in front of her and blocked the disc with her own.

"I don't think that's the Tron you know anymore"

She lunged for the Tron and the two of them started to fight. Hikari watched helplessly as Quorra tried to get the upper hand of the fight but was failing horribly. It got to the point where Tron knocked her out and threw her over his shoulder. Hikari panicked and ran for them as Tron started to leave.

"Tron, no!"

The last thing she saw before the doors closed was Tron staring at her over his shoulder.

Hikari weakly slammed her fists against t he doors as she pressed her head against its cool surface.

"Tron…why?" she whispered.

"That's what we do"

Hikari whipped around to see the mysterious figure step out through a dark portal.

"Put the most precious memories in the back of our minds where they stay safe. Or in your case, the most precious…hearts?"

Hikari scowled and gave him an annoyed look. She didn't have time to deal with this now.

"Are you seriously going to follow me to every world I go? If you're gonna talk about my heart being a prison or something alone those lines, I don't have time to hear about your stupid riddles"

"Oh, come now, Hikari" a new voice said.

Xemnas stepped out of the portal with an oily smile on his face.

"Surely your mother and I taught you to have better manners than that?"

Hikari took a step back as she gripped the door behind her. Why was Xemnas here? How was he here? He was defeated when Sora, Riku and herself fought him in the World that Never Was…or at least that's what she thought happened.

"Xemnas..you…but I thought…."

Xemnas chuckled, clearly enjoying seeing her so shaken up.

"Try to piece a few memories together" he taunted.

"Rub a few memories together and you get a spark of emotion, a feeling. But in a digital world, memory does not work like that. Nothing is felt. You can hold a thousand, a million times the information, but there is still no heart with which to parse it. Once your grandfather, Ansem the Wise, found an old system and made a copy of it's Master Control Program…and used it to serve his own ends. This is the original data of that system. Here, data can be copied. Memory can be changed and easily manipulated. Tron is a digital entity, so why would he be any different? He obeys the rules of this-OOF!"

He was cut short when Lulu headbutted him in the gut, causing him to grab his stomach. The Pegaslick appeared to be on edge as she dug her hooves into the ground and snorted loudly. She stood in front of Hikari, making sure she was covered so Xemnas wouldn't touch her.

"Apparently my Dream Eaters think you talk too much" Hikari said dryly.

She looked at the Nobody who pretended to be her father when she was a child with such disgust. She knew he was trying to play one of his mind games on her and she wasn't falling for it.

"You're wrong about Tron, though" she said.

"He may be a program but he's more than just something made of ones and zeros. No one programed him to help Sora and I destroy the MCP. No one told him he had to help us. That was all him. He may not have an actual heart like I do, but he sure does act like he has one"

"If he acts on his own, then how was he turned into someone's puppet?" Xemnas asked.

He turned to the portal and headed towards it.

"Remember, Hikari. Just because you were destined to save lost souls doesn't mean you can save ALL of them"

With those parting words he left, leaving Hikari alone with the mysterious figure. He gave off this chilling vibe about him and always seemed to wan to talk in riddles.

"Let me guess? You're gonna go on about my heart being a prison and I should set it free? Or are you gonna talk about making dreams and nightmares come true?" Hikari asked dully.

The mysterious figure walked past her as he stared out the ship's window.

"You think this is the realm of dreams, but there, you are mistaken" he said cryptically.

"Data does not dream, cannot dream. This world is real. You haven't the slightest idea where you are-that you have already wandered off the path"

Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"And I take it you're here to bring me back to the main road so I won't get lost again?"

The mysterious figure chuckled, making Hikari's skin crawl.

"You could say that"

He opened up a portal behind him and held his hand out to her.

"Would you like me to hold your hand to make sure you don't get lost again?"

Lulu pushed Hikari back, still acting as a shield. Hikari stood her ground as she glared at the mysterious figure.

"I think I'm more that capable of finding my way back. Besides, taking a couple detours never harms anyone"

"Suit yourself" the mysterious figure said as he dropped his hand.

"Just make sure you don't get too lost that it'll be impossible to find you. You wouldn't want to worry your friends"

Hikari watched as he walked towards the portal.

"You're wrong about Tron, by the way" she called out.

The mysterious figure stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.

"You're completely wrong about him" she repeated.

"True, someone made him and had him programmed to act a certain way, but everything else about him was created by him. No one programmed him to help me when I needed it, no one programmed him to decide to restore my grandpa's computer and most importantly no one programmed him on how to make friends and form unbreakable bonds. His heart may not be like mine but it functions like any other heart. You just can't see it"

The mysterious figure was quiet. Instead of making a whitty remark, he simply went through the portal and closed it behind him.

"There's something about that boy" she said to herself.

She felt the ship jolt before it went up in the air.

"Oh, that's not good"

Rushing to one of the windows, she saw the ship leaving the docks. Knowing there was no way to leave a moving ship, Hikari decided to see where her next destination would take her.

/

The next destination turned out to be a battle arena where she was smack dab in the middle of the stage. The whole area was filled with cheers as programs sat around the arena, waiting for the next event that was to unfold.

'_This is not gonna end well, I just know it' _Hikari thought.

To prove her point, CLU and Rinzler appeared on the stage. CLU wore a smug smirk as he looked at her.

"Greetings, Hikari. I've been waiting for you"

Hikari could already tell that she wasn't going to like him just by the way he spoke.

"Who are you?"

"I am CLU"

Now she knew why she didn't like him. He was the one who changed Tron.

"So you're the one who turned Tron into Rinzler!"

CLU nodded.

"Correct. I had to repurpose his code"

"Well un-purpose it! Tron was fine just the way he was!"

CLU just shrugged, showing he didn't care.

"I'm willing to under the right parameters"

He gestured to her Keyblade that was firmly gripped in her hand.

"You have a little item called a Keyblade. It can open any lock, isn't that right? Hand it over, and I'll change Rinzler back into Tron"

Hikari looked down at her Keyblade. Would giving it up really save her friend? Gripping her keyblade tightly, she shook her head. CLU would never turn Rinzler back into Tron. He would just use the Keyblade to cause more harm.

If anyone could save Tron and bring him back, it was going to be her.

"You're not getting the Keyblade" she declared.

"This is what lights the darkness. It's a beacon of hope for those who are lost and afraid"

"Ha! Flawed reasoning" CLU scoffed.

"Very well, I'll just take it by force"

He left the arena, leaving Hikari and Tron alone. Tron wasted no time and started attacking Hikari head on. Hikari dodged his attacks and moved around the arena to keep away. She didn't want to fight her friend but she knew Tron wasn't thinking the same.

"Tron! Snap out of it! Please!"

Tron simply continued to attack, not caring that he was trying to hurt his friend.

"What am I going to do?" Hikari said wearily.

"Fight Hikari!"

Quorra ran to the edge of the stadium.

"You can do it!"

"Quorra! You're alright!"

Quorra smiled as she nodded.

"I am thanks to you. Tron heard you. Long enough for me to escape. He's still in there. You can do it, you can get through to him! You have to fight him!"

"But how can I-"

Quorra smiled gently.

"He's your friend, right? You'll know how to save him. Just help him remember"

Hikari was quiet for a moment but nodded. Quorra was right. She was Tron's friend. If anyone could bring him back, it would be her.

"Hang on, Tron. I'm going to save you"

She gave Lulu and Riku Bat a serious stare.

"You two stay out of this one. This is something I need to do alone"

Tunring to Tron, she summoned her Keyblade again and went into a fighting stance.

"Alright, Tron. Let's rumble"

The two clashed as they charged at each other. If talking to Tron wasn't working then Hikari had to force him to remember. The two kept exchanging blows as Hikari tried to find a way to make Tron remember. When they jumped back, she tried to figure out what would make her friend remember.

'_Come on, think! Talking isn't working and hitting him in the head might make things worse. Come on, Hikari, you promised him you would help him' _she thought.

That's when it came to her.

Promise.

After they defeated the MCP, both she and Sora explained the concept of a hug to Tron and what it meant. How it acted as a promise between friends.

Dismissing her Keyblade she ran for Tron, hoping her idea would work. Surely he wouldn't have forgotten such an important promise?

When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Tron froze in place. His programing was telling him to attack but his body refused to move. As if it was telling him to listen.

"Don't you remember what Sora and I said?" Hikari said softly.

"This isn't what friends do when they're sorry to say goodbye…it's a promise that they'll see each other again soon"

Tears fell from her eyes as she squeezed Tron tightly.

"I know you're in there, Tron! Try to remember, please!"

Tron didn't move or say anything. He simply stood still. Hikari was beginning to think that maybe Tron really was gone when very slowly arms wrapped around her and pulled her into the hug.

"Hikari…thank you"

Hikar let out a little laugh as she smiled. She finally got to him. She finally made Tron remember.

CLU appeared on the stage looked enraged. He was not expecting some little User to turn Tron back to the way he was. Seeing as how his puppet was defected, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Wretched little User" he spat.

He pulled a disc from his back and flung it at Hikari. Tron saw the disc and quickly pushed Hikari out of the way, blocking the disc with his own. It bounced all over the walls before slamming into the glass floor beneath Tron's feet.

Hikari watched in horror as she saw her friend fall through the floor.

"Tron!"

She dove for him and grabbed his hand before it was too late.

"Don't worry, Tron. I've got you!"

She tried to pull him up but his weight was slowly pulling her down. Tron looked beneath him, seeing nothing but endless darkness then back at Hikari. Using his other hand, he placed it over hers and gave it a squeeze.

"Hikari…thank you for keeping your promise"

He ripped his hands from her and let himself fall.

"NO!"

As he fell, he gave Hikari a thumbs up. It was as if he was trying to tell her he was going to be just fine. CLU scolwed in disgust as he retrieved his disc.

"I'll deal with you later. I have to retrieve Rinzler"

He left, knowing Hikari was no use to him.

Quorra slowly approached Hikari when CLU left. Hikari simply stared at the spot Tron fell, almost as if she was trying to spot him.

"He finally remembered…Tron is still there" she said.

"And thanks to you, he's not gonna let CLU mess with his data anytime soon" Quorra said.

"You actually did it. You were able to save your friend"

Hikari smiled weakly. She didn't feel like she saved Tron, but if he was finally free from CLU then maybe that would count as being saved.

"I suppose I did"

She turned to Quorra and gave her a grateful smile.

"And you helped too. If you hadn't said those things, I wouldn't have been able to help Tron"

Quorra tilted her head in thought.

"So, does that mean we're friends?"

Hikari nodded as she laughed.

"Of course! Like I said, it doesn't matter who or what you are, as long as you have a bond, you're friends"

Quorra smiled wistfully. Who would have thought Users and Programs could be friends?

"I have to go. I need to let Sam and Flynn know Rinzler won't give us anymore problems"

Hikari nodded in understanding.

"Be careful, Quorra. Don't let CLU destroy what Tron fought to protect"

Quorra left which gave Hikari time to ponder over what happened. Tron may have been a program and didn't think or acted like a User, but he still suffered like one.

Xemnas and the mysterious figure were wrong. This world may have been a program but still acted like the others. It lived and breathed like the other worlds, and it felt pain when someone tried to hurt it. Just because it functioned differently didn't mean it didn't know what suffering was. That's why they never knew Tron was hurting and needed help. Yes, he was a program, but Hikari knew he felt pain like a User.

'_That's why I was able to save him…because I didn't see him as an object' _

She started walking away. There was nothing more she could do here. She knew Tron wasn't going to let CLU take over this world now that he remembered. This world would be safe in his hands.

"I guess Tron did make me realize something about this exam" she said to herself.

"It's not just people who need help…everyone and everything needs to be saved. As long as they can think and know that they're hurting, they need to be saved. Human or not, I promise I'll always be there to save them"

/

**A/N: This is how I felt Sora should have saved Tron. Not this whole 'Tron snap out of it' speech. If you want someone to remember you, you gotta show them, don't just say it. **

**Even though Hikari didn't save Tron from falling, she at least saved him from being in CLU's clutches. Now he can protect his data from being tampered with again.**

**And Xemnas has returned! Why is he back? How is he back? And most importantly, why is he still talking and acting like he's Hikari's father when he knows the truth is out? Is there a reason behind it or is he just messing with her head?**

**And Tsukiko and Taiyouko are back! It looks like things are about to get hairy since Maleficent showed up but they should be able to handle her…right? Seems like Taiyouko is gonna have to reveal that she knows where Lumen is and that she's kept her hidden this entire time. Wonder how everyone is gonna react to that?**

**Please tell me what you think! **

**Take care!**


	7. The Grid: Riku's side

Chapter 7: The Grid: Riku's Side

Riku noticed right off the bat that this world was very vert different from the previous ones he had been on. The dead giveaway was of course everything looking technological and futuristic, but the other aspect was that his outfit changed completely.

"What is this place?" he wondered.

He had never seen a world like this before. It almost seemed strange that a techno world would even be sleeping. But never the less, he had to have come here for a reason, so it was best to see why.

He didn't get far when he noticed a ship descent before him.

"Well, this should be interesting"

A few masked guards spilled out of the ship and approached him, using a strange disc to scan him for something. Not liking what they found, they grabbed him by the arms and started taking him towards the ship.

"Another stray. Take him for quarantine"

Riku yanked himself away from the guards but didn't run away. He really didn't know what was going on, but he knew it would have been a stupid idea to run away from the armed guards. So, with no other choice, he went towards the ship. When he boarded he was surprised to see another person on board as well.

Sam, Flynn's son looked at Riku as the ship took off.

"Are you a prisoner?" he asked.

Riku just shrugged.

"It looks that way"

Sam gave him a weak grin.

"I'm Sam"

"I'm Riku. Where are we, Sam?" Riku asked.

"We're on the Grid" was all Sam said.

Riku just started out the window of the ship as it passed through the digital city. He didn't know what was going on, but he had a feeling it was going to be anything but boring.

/

Instead of taking Riku to a prison, the guards dropped him off in the middle of a race track. Everywhere around him, programs were cheering, getting excited for what was about to unfold.

CLU and Rinzler appeared on the track and walked towards Riku. He could tell right away that whoever these two were, they were not gonna be on his side or help him out.

CLU wore a fake proud smirk as he offered Riku and strange looking stick.

"You're in luck. Only a precious few are granted Light Cycle battle privileges"

Riku gingerly took the stick from CLU and examined it.

"You gonna explain why it's so lucky?"

CLU just chuckled as he gestured behind Riku.

"I'll show you"

No sooner had he said that, a few Light Cycles zipped past them. The vehicles kept crashing into each other, hoping to knock their opponent off the track. When one of them went flying, the crowd would go wild and cheer.

Riku slowly started to realize what kind of match this was and didn't like where this was going. It seemed on this world, instead of arresting and throwing prisoners in jail, they just made them fight other prisoners to the death. How charming.

Looking at the device in his hand, he realized if he wanted to get out of here alive, he would have to fight his way out of the arena.

"This shouldn't be too hard…right?"

Activating his Light Cycle, he quickly took off and joined in the race. He focused on trying to get ahead of the other racers, so he wouldn't have to worry about getting hit. Whenever another racer tried to get close and cut him off, Sunny would appear and knocked them out of the way with her horns.

The race went on for a little while more until it was only Riku left on the track. Knowing that CLU wasn't going to let him go, he quickly took matters into his own hands.

"I think I've had enough entertainment for one day"

Driving his Light Cycle off the track, he aimed the blasters at the nearest wall and fired at it, creating a hole. With a new route, Riku drove through the opening and got as far away from the arena as he could.

/

Hiding within the city, Riku jumped off the Light Cycle and decided where he should go. If he got caught again he had a feeling CLU would make him do something worse than Light Cycle racing. He needed to figure out why he was on this world and make sure he didn't get caught at the same time.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who managed to escape because he found Sam.

"Riku! You managed to escape!"

He quickly ran up to him.

"Listen, I know a way off the Grid. Wanna come with?"

Riku shook head. He had a task he needed to do here for the exams, so he needed to stay put.

"No, you go on ahead" he said.

Sam shrugged and started to walk away. However, as he did so, Riku processed what Sam told him. What did he mean 'a way off'? Did he mean get off this world or something else?

"Wait, what do you mean a way out?" he said as he went after Sam.

Sam stopped and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Through the portal" he said vaguely.

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific than that. What do you mean by a portal?" Riku asked.

"It's this gate that opened up when I came here" Sam explained.

"Once I'm back in the real world I can delete CLU. And then…then my dad will be able to come home"

"Your dad?" Riku asked. It seemed instead of getting more answers, Sam was just giving him more things to question and ponder over.

"He vanished twenty years ago when he came here to the Grid" Sam explained.

"But because he needed to protect his disc from CLU, he went into hiding. He's been trapped here ever since. But I'm gonna change that"

"I see…" Riku said.

It seemed the more he was on this world, the more confusing it was. People being trapped within a world, making them fight to the death as punishment, learning there was a possibility of a way to get out of this world while it was sleeping? There had to be more that was going on.

Knowing he just couldn't walk away from this, Riku decided he needed to get to the bottom of this.

"You mind if I go with you after all? I wanna see what this portal is"

Sam shrugged, showing he didn't mind.

"Sure. I'll take what help I can get. But first, there's somebody I need to meet. He's in the city"

With that the two of them headed deeper into the city, hoping to find out just what was going on with this world and why it acted so strangely.

/

When they made it further into the city, Sam looked at Riku.

"Kill some time till I get back"

He left, leaving Riku to himself. He really didn't care though. This was the perfect chance to process his thoughts about the exam and what had happened since it started.

Obviously, he knew something was off. It was a no brainer that this exam was going to be hard, but the fact that this Mysterious Figure and Ansem had showed up raised some red flags. Why were they here? Or better yet, _how _did they get here? These worlds were supposed to be trapped within the sleeping realm so how were they able to get here?

Not only that but this world seemed to have a way of getting out to the outside world. Sleeping worlds shouldn't be able to do that, right? If they could then they wouldn't be sleeping.

'_Unless…this world isn't really trapped within a dream' _Riku thought.

He didn't have time to break apart this world's logic since he heard a commotion up ahead.

Knowing that was where Sam ran off to he quickly headed towards that direction, hoping that CLU or the Nightmares hadn't gotten to him.

/

He was relieved to see Sam was ok, but he was puzzled as well to see two other individuals with him. Sam was holding an unconscious Quorra while Flynn tried to see what was wrong with her.

"Sam, what's going on?" Riku said.

Flynn looked confused when he saw him.

"Who's this?"

"I'm Riku. Sam and I were on our way to the portal"

Flynn seemed weary of adding a stranger to their group, but he knew there wasn't time to argue about it.

"Very well, come with us"

"Were exactly are we going anyway?" Sam asked.

"The Portal" Flynn said. "But we need a Solar Sailer. There's one in the underground docks"

They quickly rushed to the docks knowing that time wasn't on their side.

/

They were able to make it to the docks without being seen and quickly got on one of the Sailers. When they took off, Flynn went about trying to fix Quorra while Same watched.

Riku only heard bits and pieces of their conversation about Quorra and CLU. It seemed in his foolish attempt to make something perfect, Flynn created CLU whose only purpose was to find perfection and destroy anything that wasn't.

As he looked at Sam and Flynn he couldn't help but see Taiyouko and Diz. Like Flynn and Sam, they shared a very strained parent/child relationship. Diz was focused on finding the purpose of the heart and its mysteries, only to push his daughter aside feeling that her presence didn't contribute to his goal. And much like Flynn, Diz would have his own version of CLU-an apprentice named Xehanort. And similar to CLU's nature, Xehanort would destroy anything that didn't relate to his quest for finding the secrets of the heart or restoring Kingdom Hearts.

It hurt to think that if either Flynn or Diz would have been more accepting of their children and not focused on their goals, then none of this would have happened.

'_If Diz had just been more accepting of Taiyouko, then maybe Xehanort wouldn't have tricked her into loving him and used her as his puppet' _he thought.

'_But then…if none of that happened…I probably wouldn't have met Hikari…my future might have been very different'_

Despite their easy start, their ride was about to take an ugly turn. CLU's ship managed to catch up to them and was on their tail. The ship jolted as CLU's ship connected to theirs.

"We've been put on a new course" Flynn said bitterly.

There was nothing they could do as their ship was being forced to a nearby dock.

/

They all hid as CLU's guards searched the ship. The program knew Flynn was on the move and he was not going to let the User get to the portal before he did.

"What are we going to do? We can't leave without being seen and if we fight them, its gonna alert CLU that we're here" Riku said.

Quorra was quiet as she thought of something before she didn't something crazy. Removing her disc, she gave it to Flynn before running off, alerting the guards.

"She's removing herself from the equation" Flynn realized.

Sam watched sadly as he saw the guards take Quorra away.

"We can't just let her go"

He went to go after her, but Flynn held him back.

"Wait, Sam. What about getting you to the portal? You have to shut them down from outside"

"But Quorra comes first!" Sam insisted.

"And we still have to get back your disc"

Flynn just shook his head.

"Sam, if you chase two rabbits, you won't catch either"

Riku stood awkwardly as he watched the two bickered.

'_Yeah they certainly remind me of Taiyouko and Diz'_

Feeling that he was the only reasonable person here, he decided to speak up.

"If this is a father-son thing, I won't butt in, but we should probably get back that disc before CLU uses it. Just saying"

Knowing Riku had a point, Sam reluctantly agreed.

"You're right."

He looked at his dad.

"Meet us on the flight deck. We'll get the disc back"

Both he and Riku then headed off.

"Riku, I gotta save Quorra too" Sam pleaded.

"I know. We'll find her, don't worry" Riku said.

"Now where would CLU keep your dad's disc?"

"It should be somewhere on CLU's ship. I saw it dock here earlier"

They headed for CLU's ship, hoping that the disc was still there.

/

After much sneaking around and avoiding the guards, the two of them made it into CLU's quarters of the ship.

Sure, enough Sam spotted his father's disc near the center of the room and went for it. However, CLU wasn't programmed to be an idiot. The moment Sam removed the disc an alarm went off, signaling the guards they were there.

The guards that had captured Quorra appeared. The young program looked worried that her companions were caught.

"Sam! Riku! Go!"

"Not without you, we're not" Sam said.

Riku tried to figure out how to get them out of this situation. If they tried to attack, then the guards would harm Quorra, but if they stalled it would alert CLU that they were here.

He noticed the door leading out of the room was still open. If he could knock the guards out without them noticing, they might have a chance of getting out of here. Summoning Sunny and Hika, he had the two Dream Eaters appear outside the door-right behind the guard's backs. Giving off a shrill whistle, he let his companions know where he was and hoped they would know what he wanted them to do. Sure, enough the Dream Eaters spotted him and bolted towards him. They slammed into the guards, knocking them out of the way and freeing Quorra in the process.

Quorra made quick work of knocking the guards out before turning to her friends.

"What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain. We gotta make it to the fight deck" Sam said.

"But CLU will be here any minute. We'll never make it" Quorra said.

Hika nudged Riku's arm to get his attention. The Pegaslick motioned towards the window at the front of the ship, which showed the hanger bay that they were in.

Riku caught on to what his Dream Eater was showing and quickly jumped on her back.

"Get on, I have an idea"

Sam and Quorra didn't know what Riku was planning but they felt it was better than standing around waiting for CLU to show up. Jumping on Hika's back, they watched as Riku aimed his Keyblade at the windows and shattered it with his magic. Hikari jumped through the opening and flew towards the flight deck where Flynn was waiting for them.

/

Flynn had a ship waiting for them when they arrived. Wasting no time, they hoped on and flew off towards the portal.

"We only have an hour left before the portal closes up on us, so we need to hurry" Flynn said.

They pushed the ship to go as fast as it could to get to the portal before time ran out.

With time against them, they finally managed to make it to the portal. They quickly ran up the steps, hoping they were finally home free, however when they made it to the last step, all their hope washed away.

Standing between them and the portal was CLU and he was anything but happy. Quorra went to go attack him, but Flynn held an arm up to stop her.

"I'll handle this" he said.

He walked towards CLU, hoping to keep him distracted from going near the portal.

"Had a feeling you'd be here" he said with a weak smile.

CLU shook with anger and jabbed a finger at his direction.

"You! You promised that we would change the world…together!" he cried.

"You broke your promise! I took the system to its maximum potential. And now, you see the applications at my disposal!"

He snapped his fingers and summoned the Commantis from earlier. It stood in front of the portal, making sure that if any of them tried to reach for it, the Nightmare would keep them away.

"Impossible" Flynn breathed.

Riku stepped forward, summoning his Keyblade. Now that he wasn't on a Light Cycle, he had a better chance of defeating the Commantis.

"You can leave this one to me"

He wasted no time in attacking. He knew they were running out of time and that if he didn't get rid of this Nightmare the portal would be closed for good and CLU would cause more havoc to the Grid. He made sure to lure the Commantis away from the portal, so it wouldn't get damaged while they fought.

Riku wished that he had better knowledge of how programming worked otherwise he could have fried the Commantis. But he did know that anything computer based had a very simple but very powerful weakness: water. If he was able to drench the Commantis, the Nightmare would destroy itself on its own.

Jumping on Hika he flew around the Nightmare and lured it further away from the portal, so it wouldn't get damaged with what Riku was about to do next.

"Waterga!"

The Commantis was completely drenched as water poured out of Riku's Keyblade. Sure enough, the Nightmare short-circuited and disintegrated into particles.

With the Commantis gone, CLU was left alone with Flynn, Sam, Quorra and Riku against him.

"I created the perfect system!" he insisted.

Flynn shook his head sadly.

"The thing about perfection is that it's unknowable. It's impossible, but it's also…."

He looked at his son.

"Right in front of us, all the time. You wouldn't know that because I didn't when I created you. I'm sorry, CLU. I'm sorry"

CLU yelled out in anger and kicked Flynn out of the way. He ran for the portal hoping to get to it before it closed but Sam, Quorra and Riku stood in his way, keeping him back.

"CLU! Remember what you came for" Flynn called out.

He held up his disc showing he had it. CLU ran back to Flynn, never realizing that was what Flynn wanted. As CLU was running towards him, Flynn deactivated the bridge that connected to the portal, making sure CLU wouldn't be able to reach it again. CLU snatched the disc from Flynn and activated it but was horrified to see that it wasn't Flynn's disc, but rather Quorra's.

When he saw the disc that was attached to the program, he realized that Flynn switched the disc on purpose.

"No…"

He looked at Flynn desperately.

"No…why?"

Flynn just smiled weakly.

"He's my son" was all he said.

CLU punched Flynn in the face then ran for the portal.

"Dad!" Sam cried.

Flynn groaned as he rubbed his face.

"Sam! Its time!"

Sam shook his head desperately. Flynn was on the other side of the bridge. At this rate there wouldn't be any time for him to reach them on the other side by the portal.

"No, not without you!"

"Sam, it's what he wants" Quorra said softly.

Sam tried to run back towards the other end of the bridge but Quorra held him back.

"I'm not leaving you!"

Flynn smiled weakly.

"Take her, Sam. It's the only way to fix this"

Quorra took out Flynn's disc and handed it to Sam. Biting his lip, Sam reluctantly took it and brought it towards the portal to activate it.

A tear slid down Flynn's cheek as he watched his son step on the portal.

"Good-bye, kiddo" he said quietly.

CLU was able to get to the other end of the bridge and ran for the portal before Sam and Quorra could escape.

Riku jumped in front of him and aimed his Keyblade at him, keeping him away from Sam and Quorra.

"Don't even think about it!"

Using the last of his powers in this world, Flynn summoned CLU back towards him. As the program connected with him, both disappeared. Thanks to Flynn's noble sacrifice, Sam and Quorra were able to escape into the portal before it closed for good.

/

With the threat finally gone, Riku slowly approached the deactivated portal.

"Looks like the portal is gone" he said.

It was sad that Flynn couldn't escape with Sam, but he did what any good father would have done and made sure his child was able to get away safe. He hoped that Sam was able to fix things on the other side for his father's sake.

"_These gates that connect worlds-maybe when we pass through them, we're challenged and changed_" he thought.

"_And it's not over. There are more trials ahead I have to overcome. But I'll be ready for them"_

He thought back to what Flynn said to CLU before he disappeared.

"Perfection is impossible…but it's also right in front of us"

He had wished that Diz could have heard these words. If only he realized that you couldn't study how a heart works but rather could only feel it, then maybe he would have had a better relationship with Taiyouko. If only he had loved his daughter more, then he would have found the answers that he was looking for.

And maybe through that, Xehanort would have found what he was looking for too.

He smiled sadly knowing he couldn't change the past but simply learn from it.

"I hope I'll never be like that with our kids" he said to himself.

He clutched Hikari's necklace and gave it a small squeeze.

"But then again, I have a feeling you would make sure that would never happen…right Hikari?"

/

Back on Radiant Garden, Lea re-entered Ansem's study after scouting the area for Isa and the others.

"Where are they? I've turned this castle upside down" he said to himself.

He saw Ienzo and Aeleus tidying up the study, trying to get it back in order and searching for clues.

"Hey, are the other two still out cold?"

Aeleus nodded as he scanned the bookshelves.

"Dilan and Even are conscious again, but still unstable…they're resting inside"

Lea nodded in understanding.

"Gotcha. Well, I guess I'll give the castle grounds a sweep"

"Don't" Ienzo said.

"If they were back, we would have found them by now. And we don't need the unwanted attention of the town residents at this moment"

"In translation: you don't want your nephew, Leon to know that you're back which would result in your sister knowing and you're not ready to face her after everything that's happened, am I correct?" Lea clarified.

When Ienzo didn't say anything he knew he hit the nail on the head.

Sighing, he walked around the study, trying to find a clue of some sort that would lead him to finding their companions as well as Tsukiko and Ankoku.

"So do ya think they were blasted off to some other world, or what?"

"I highly doubt it" Ienzo said.

"When someone who's lost their heart is recompleted, they should return to the place where it happned. And if that world is unavalible for whatever reason, a refuge is made for them in the realm between-a world called Traverse Town. They would be sent there, or perhaps-"

Lea quickly cut him off, not wanting a long explination.

"No, look, okay-the fact is- we're here. We've been recompleted, right? So they should be here too-plain and simple"

"I agree, it is strange" Ienzo agreed.

Lea sighed in frustration as he looked at the wall containing Ansem's formula for the world of darkness.

"What a drag. Could they have not been recompleted?"

Ienzo shrugged as he thought of a theory.

"Well, you see-"

"Ah! Forget it" Lea said as he studied the formula more. An idea came to him mind as he read the inscription for 'Door to Darkness'. He was starting to piece together where Isa and Braig were.

"You know what? I'll bring them back myself"

Ienzo looked at him skeptically, wondering if he had lost his mind.

"How exactly?"

Lea paid him no mind as he wore his usual smirk.

"I always get stuck with the icky jobs"

He spun on his heel and walked out of the lab with purpose.

He knew where to find Isa and Briag now, but there was one other person that was more important now that he needed to find.

"Hang on, Tsukiko. I'm coming for you"

/

**A/N: Awwww, Riku is already thinking about having kids with Hikari. Wonder what else he's thinking about.**

**Sorry if this chapter was a little on the sloppy side. Like I said before this was my least favorite world from the game and since I didn't see the movie it was super tricky to think it out. **

**Seems like Taiyouko and Ansem the Wise aren't the only ones with a rocky parent-child relationship. If only Ansem had been a better parent to his daughter, then his family wouldn't have been dragged into this mess with Xehanort.**

**And it seems Lea is off to find Tsukiko! Gah, I can't wait to write their reunion out!**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Take care!**


	8. Prankster Paradise: Hikari's side

Chapter 8: Prankster Paradise: Hikari's Side

**A/N: We're at the half way mark with this story! Just have three more worlds not including Traverse Town before we finally get to the end! **

**Just bear in mind though that I'm not gonna focus a lot on the fight scenes except when we get to the end because I want to focus on the plot part of the story. So, if the fighting scenes from here on out are sucky I apologize but I want to get to the main part of the story lol. **

**Also, I'm planning on creating a tumbler page for this series so if you guys have questions about the story or wanna know random facts about the characters you can find them on the fan page. **

**So without further ado, let's get on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

_Hikari found herself once again within the crystal cavern. Lumen sat in front of a crystal, watching a memory play out on it's glassy surface. Hikari went up to her and took a seat beside her. _

_Looking at the projection, she saw the image of Lumen talking with Eraqus. _

_It started off when Lumen was a little girl. She was crying over something that had happened while her father tried to comfort her, not even noticing that he had tears in his own eyes. As the memory played out, it showed Lumen as she got older with her father. Eraqus appeared to be strict at times but showed he was a loving dad. _

_However, the peaceful image changed to the last time Lumen ever saw her father. She was trying desperately to stop Terra and Eraqus from fighting, only to end up getting hurt instead. Seized by anger, Terra sent her to Yen Sid so he could finish his fight with Eraqus. It was at Yen Sid's tower did she learn that her father had been killed by Master Xehanort and would be the beginning of Lumen's spirit falling apart._

_When the show ended, Hikari turned to Lumen to see the poor girl silently crying. Having to relive those horrible memories seemed to have reopen old wounds that never healed properly. _

_Hikari placed her hand on Lumen's shoulder and gave it a squeeze._

"_It looked like your dad really loved you"_

_She frowned as she thought about her own situation when it came to fathers._

"_I never met my real dad. He disappeared before I was born…to be honest I don't think he knew I existed. As for the 'dad' I grew up with…." _

_She dug her nails into the palm of her hand. Just thinking about Xemnas in general made her chest hurt._

"_The one who I thought was my dad ended up being the one who started this mess with the worlds and tried to use me as a pawn. He really broke my mom's heart with the things that he did" _

_A tear slid down her face as she thought of something. Something that plagued her thoughts ever since she knew the truth regarding Xemnas._

"_I wonder if he ever really loved me or thought of me as his daughter. But then again…who puts their child in danger like that?"_

_Lumen didn't say anything. She simply reached over to grab the hand that was on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. _

_No words needed to be said between the two as they tried to cope with their own little family dramas._

/

The next world Hikari arrived at appeared to be a fun one. She found herself within a carnival where children played games and went on rides.

"Well…this world seems to be a lot of fun. Least it's a lot more cheerful then the last two worlds I've been to"

She walked into the carnival and took everything in as she went. She had no idea how a fun world such as this was part of her exam but she figured the longer she stayed the sooner she would find out.

This exam was something. It was really pushing her limits and made her question on what was the right thing to do. She gained a lot of knowledge and was starting to see that she was capable of standing on her own two feet.

However, with knowledge there were questions that went with it. For starters why was that Mystery Figure still following her and why did he feel the need to talk to her in riddles? It was like he was trying to tell her something but at the same time he wanted to keep her guessing.

Then of course there was Xemnas returning. Why was her fake father back? Better yet _how _was he back? In order for Master Xehanort to return both Xemnas and Ansem needed to be destroyed. People couldn't be destroyed only for them to return right?

'_Then again I remember something similar to this happened with Maleficent. She was destroyed at Hollow Bastion and yet she magically appeared again as if nothing happened'_

Something was off and she knew it. The problem was that she didn't know what it meant or how to figure it out.

"I can only imagine what mom's reaction would be if I told what I saw. 'Oh hi, mom! I was just taking my Mark of Mastery exam and you won't believe who I saw! Xemnas is back and it seems he's up to something again. He says hi'"

She sighed as she rubbed her face.

"All I've been seeing since I started this exam are people who want to hurt me. For once I'd just like to see a friendly, familiar face"

"That Pinocchio, he must have his poor father worried sick"

Hikari perked up when she heard a very familiar voice.

Sitting on a set of stairs was none other than Jiminy Cricket. Hikari felt relief was over her as she saw the little cricket. Jiminy had jolted down all of the adventures she had with Sora, Donald and Goofy in the past and tended to give out words of wisdom when it was needed. And words of wisdom was what she needed right now.

"Hey, Jiminy! It's great to see you!"

Jiminy jumped up and looked at Hikari alarmed.

"Who are you! You shouldn't be here, young lady"

Hikari looked at him oddly. Why was he acting like he didn't know who she was?

"You alright there, Jiminy?"

Now it was Jiminy's turn to look confused.

"Huh? You mean you've heard of me?"

He became excited at the thought of being famous.

"Well, I'll be. The name Jiminy Cricket's already spread far and wide"

Hikari just chuckled at Jiminy's little antics.

"Come on, Jiminy. It's me-Hikari"

Jiminy scratched his head in thought.

"Hikari you say? Gosh, I don't think I recognize you…but the name does have a familiar ring"

Hikari was about to scold Jiminy over his amnesia act but remembered something Yen Sid said before the exams. She was bound to run into familiar faces but they were only 'dream' versions of themselves. They didn't share the same memories as their 'awakened' versions.

"That's right. This is a dream version of Jiminy. He doesn't know me because I'm not part of the dream"

"What's that now?" Jiminy asked.

Hikari shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing, just talking to myself"

She knelt down and offered a finger for Jiminy to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Jiminy"

"The feeling's mutual, Hikari"

"So why did you say I need to get out of here?" Hikari asked.

"This place it terrible!" Jiminy cried.

"Boys here are allowed to wreck things, loaf around and make Jackamules of themselves! And poor Pinocchio, he wandered in here on my watch. If I don't find him, he'll turn into a donkey like the rest of the boys"

Hikari made a face at that last part.

"You mean like the term to describe a rude person or an actual donkey?"

She quickly shook her head, realizing that wasn't important.

"Nevermind. Why don't I help you find him? I'm sure with an extra set of eyes we'll be able to find him faster."

Jiminy looked relieved when he heard that.

"Really? I'd be grateful if you did"

Hikari summoned her Dream Eaters to expand the search.

"Alright guys, listen up. We need to find a little boy named Pinocchio. He's made of wood so it shouldn't be too hard to find him"

The two Dream Eaters went off on their search. Hikari knelt down and offered Jiminy her hand.

"Hop aboard, Jiminy. You'll be able to see better on higher ground:

She placed the little cricket on her shoulder before walking further into the carnival. The area was huge but Hikari had a feeling there wasn't going to be a punch of talking puppets walking around.

_/_

Searching turned out to be a lot harder than Hikari thought it would be. Even though it should have been easy to spot a moving puppet, there was the fact that the carnival was massive and tricky to get around.

"Oh, I just know Pinocchio's father is going to get sick with worry. That boy is the only family he has" Jiminy said sadly.

"He sounds like a nice dad if he's worried about him" Hikari said.

"Well of course. Any decent father would worry about their children. Surely your father must be worried about you being off on your own like this"

Hikari stopped in her tracks when she heard that. Once again the thought of Xemnas came back to taunt her. First back in that dream with lumen and now this. Must have been the theme for this world.

"I seriously doubt he's worried about me" she said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Jiminy asked.

Hikari tried to describe her situation with Xemnas without freaking the little cricket out.

"Let's just say my…dad…did some horrible things in the past. He created something that he shouldn't have and he hurt a lot of people in the process, including my mother and myself" she said slowly.

"After that happened, he separated me from my older brother, wiped my memories of my childhood and placed me somewhere remote and away from everything I ever knew. After I remembered what he did, I tried to stop him from hurting other people"

She looked sad as she remembered her childhood from when 'Xehanort' was an apprentice to her grandfather. He would always call her his little princess and made her feel safe and loved.

"Sometimes I wonder if he pretended to be nice just so no one would see what he truly was. I don't even know if he really loved me"

Jiminy jumped down to her hands so she could see him.

"Of course he loved you. The fact that he did those things proves it"

Hikari looked at Jiminy like he had gone crazy.

"Didn't you hear any of the stuff I said? He's evil! Where did you get love out off all of that?"

Jiminy just shrugged.

"I don't know what he did that was considered evil so I can't explain that part" he said.

"But my heart is telling me he does love you. If what he did was really bad then the fact that he took you somewhere and wiped your memories must mean he was trying to protect you. If I were a decent father, I wouldn't want my child having horrible memories growing up. That just shows he loves you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have done that"

Hikari didn't know what to say to that. Xemnas was trying to protect her? He did those things out of love?

"_Yeah, like love and protection are in his vocabulary' _she thought.

Riki Bat came flying towards them, screeching loudly and making gestures with his wings.

"Did you find Pinocchio?"

The bat nodded and gestured for them to follow him.

"Come on, Jiminy! Let's go find him and get out of here"

They ran after the bat, hoping poor Pinocchio was alright.

/

Riki Bat lead Hikari to a giant circus tent near the back of the carnival. When they reached the central part of the tent, they were greeted to the sight of Pinocchio surrounded by Nightmares.

"Jiminy! Help me!"

"Oh my stars above!" Jiminy cried.

Hikari lunged forward and destroyed the Nightmares surrounding Pinocchio. When the coast was clear she checked to see if the little boy was alright, yet what she saw alarmed her. Instead of looking like a little boy, she spotted donkey ears and a tail to match.

"Huh, I guess Jiminy was serious about him turning into a donkey" she said to herself.

"Oh, Pinocchio, look at you!" Jiminy cried.

When more Nightmares appeared, Hikari quickly grabbed Pinocchio and set him on Lulu's back.

"We'll figure out why he's got ears and a tail later. Right now you two better get out of here"

Lulu scurried out of the tent while Hikari got right of the Nightmares. When they were gone, she heard that oh so familiar sound of a dark portal opening up behind her.

"Not that creepy kid again. I don't have time for riddles" she groaned.

She turned around expecting to see the Mysterious Figure that was following her, but instead saw Xemnas.

"Oh no, it's much worse"

Xemnas just laughed that sent shivers up Hikari's spine.

"Oh, come now, Hikari. I'd thought you'd be happy to see me" he chided.

"It's only natural for a child to be happy to see their parent"

Hikari growled and balled her hands into fists.

"Stop saying that! You just pretended to be my dad so you could use me! A real parent would never do that to their child!"

Xemnas tilted his head.

"And I suppose a 'real' parent would save their child as well?" he asked.

Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

Xemnas smirked as he walked towards her.

"I saved you from a terrible fate" he simply said.

"If anything, you should be thanking me for it"

Hikari felt her anger rising with each word he spoke. Thank him?! Thank him for what?!

"Saved me?" she spat.

"It's because of you that I suffered in the first place! You destroyed my original world! You separated me from my brother, Leon! You wiped my memories! You toyed with my mother's emotions and used her! How did any of that save me?!"

When Xemnas reached her he bent down so he was eye leveled with her and grabbed her face so she would look at him.

"Oh, my sweet child. If you knew what was originally going happen to you, you would be thanking me on your hands and knees" he said.

The smile vanished from his face suddenly.

"And if you must know, I never toyed with your mother's emotions-far from it. She was the one who toyed with mine. I would have done anything for her"

Hikari swatted his hand away and took a step back.

"Yeah, sure you would" she said sarcastically.

"What did you mean about something happening to me? What did you do to me?"

Xemnas opened a portal and walked towards it.

"Nothing really. Just simply saying that I had a 'change of heart' so to speak"

Just before he entered the portal, he stopped and looked at Hikari over his shoulder. His mocking smirk was gone, replaced with a surprisingly serious expression.

"Remember this: Daddy is always watching over his little princess"

With those parting words, he left Hikari to herself.

She held herself to ward off the chill that somehow crept into her bones. Why was Xemnas so intent on calling himself her father when he knew the truth was out? Was he just mocking her?

She couldn't dwell on that now. She wouldn't. She wasn't going to let Xemnas's words cloud her judgement at a time like this.

"I have other things to worry about. Like Pinocchio and seeing If he's alright"

She ran out the tended and headed towards where Lulu went. Her mind kept going back to Xemnas and Jiminy's words about him.

'_You're wrong, Jiminy. There's no way he ever loved me. You can't love someone…when you don't have a heart within you'_

/

When she made it out of the tent, Hikari wasted no time in looking for Pinocchio and Jiminy.

"Jiminy! Pinocchio! Where are you guys?"

She had hoped to see the two of them appear, but instead she was greeted to the sight of the Blue Fairy.

"You're looking for Pinocchio, yes?" she asked kindly.

Hikari looked relieved to see that there was there was someone who knew of Pinocchio.

"Yes! Did you by any chance see him? He ran this way and he had a little cricket friend with him"

"I do, but I have some grave news about that" The Blue Fairy said.

"Good Geppetto went off to look for Pinocchio and was swallowed by a whale name Monstro"

Hikari shuddered as she thought of Monstro. She recalled vividly how she had to swim and walk through the whale's nasty saliva as she and Sora tried to help Geppetto and Pinocchio escape.

"Does Pinocchio and Jiminy know about this?" she asked.

"Yes. And when I told them Geppetto was still alive inside the whale, and at the bottom of the sea, those two little ones ran off at once. They were very determined to save him"

Hikari looked at the fairy as if she grew three heads. Why would she tell that to Pinocchio?! Didn't she know children would believe anything and do reckless things?

"You crazy fairy! Why would you tell them that?! You should have tried to save Geppetto instead of making his son do it!"

She pushed past the Blue Fairy, running down the dirt road.

"I gotta find them! If they try to swim to the bottom of the sea, they're gonna drown. Then there's no way Pinocchio will become a real boy"

/

As Hikari climbed down the cliff leading to the beach, she kept grumbling about fairies.

"Stupid fairy. Doesn't she know kids will believe anything you say? I bet if she told Pinocchio that his father jumped off a high cliff to find him, he'd probably ask how high he would need to jump to reach him"

When she reached an opened area on the cliff, she spotted Lulu looking over the edge. She noticed Pinocchio wasn't with her, which made the red flags go off in her head.

Rushing over to her Dream Eater, she tried to see why Pinocchio and Jiminy weren't with her.

"Lulu, where did Pinocchio and Jiminy go?"

Lulu put her ears back as she slowly looked back over the ledge, down to where the ocean was. Hikari looked over the ledge too and felt her stomach drop.

"You've got to be kidding me" she groaned.

Letting out a big sight, she went to the wall of the cliff before facing the edge again.

"Why does it always have to be me?"

Bolting to a run, she reached the edge and jumped off. When she hit the water, she quickly swam everywhere, hoping to find Pinocchio. It was so hard to see anything with the water being dark and murky, she pressed on though knowing Pinocchio was probably not cut out for being under water as long as she could.

She saw movement near the floor of the ocean and swam to see what it was. It was Pinocchio put the poor puppet was swimming for his life. Why? Well it could be because Monstro found him and was in the process of trying to swallow him. Try as he might, Pinocchio was no match to the pull of Monstro and sadly he too was swallowed up by the whale.

Hikari tried swimming towards them. She knew what it was like being eaten by that whale and she didn't want Pinocchio to relive that.

However, she wasn't the only one who was trying to reach Monstro. Zipping past her, a blue lobster like Nightmare chases after Monstro and encased the whale in ice before dragging it up to the surface.

Summoning Lulu, Hikari had her zip up towards the surface to face off the Chill Clawbster before it could take Monstro away.

"Hang on Pinocchio and Jiminy! I'll get you out!"

Staying on Lulu's back, she knew she had a better chance at beating this thing. She had the advantage of being in the air and could maneuver better then she would if she was in the water

The fight didn't last for long. Being exposed to air weakened the sea-based Nightmare and Hikari was about to defeat it with ease.

With the threat out of the way, Hikari went back to Monstro and melted the ice that had encased over him.

The minute Monstro was free, the whale wasted no time in diving into the water. When the giant whale did that, he caused a massive wave to form and knocked Hikari and Lulu back to the beach.

Hikari ran to the water in hopes of trying to reach Monstro but stopped when she realized something.

She couldn't save Pinocchio in this state…because she would do it in the real world. This world was simply trapped within a dream. Even if she did reach Monstro, nothing would come of it.

"That's right. After this happens, Pinocchio and Jiminy's world gets dragged into the darkness and they get cast in between worlds. Then they end up in Traverse Town and that's where we actually meet" she said quietly.

"I guess it's like Yen Sid said. I'm in the dream Pinocchio's world is seeing. And it'll never be right again until it wakes from its slumber"

She was sad that she couldn't help Pinocchio, but she knew she had helped him in the waking world. At least she knew why Monstro ended up in between worlds when she first encountered the whale

"At least Pinocchio is with his father now. I can't even imagine how scared he would be right now if he wasn't with Geppetto. No child should be without their parent"

As she said that, she couldn't' help but think back to Xemnas and Jiminy's words.

She didn't want to believe what the cricket said. All those comments about Xemnas loving and caring about her weren't true. He was not capable of love. Just the thought of it looked wrong. It was like trying to picture Sora as crabby and angry. It just wasn't right.

Jiminy tended to have the right answer for everything, but this would have to be the only time he was wrong.

Xemnas didn't care. They only thing he should any sort of emotion was if it pertains to his goals. Loving someone would just be a waste of his time.

But there was one thing that Xemnas said that bugged her. Something she had trouble understanding.

"What did he mean when he said he saved me?"

/

**A/N: What indeed. Why on Earth would Xemnas want to save Hikari? Better yet, what did he save her from?**

**Seems like he isn't letting go of the father card anytime soon either. Why's he still going on acting like he's Hikari's father? Is it to taunt her? Or is it something else? **

**Also seems like he's still a little on edge regarding Taiyouko. Does that mean he still has feelings for her? **

**Seems like Jiminy was on to something too. Do you agree with his logic?**

**Please review and tell me what you think! **

**Ja ne**


	9. Prankster Paradise: Riku's Side

Chapter 9: Prankster Paradise: Riku's Side

**A/N: We're on Riku's side again! Looks like he's going to have to face some demons from his past with this world he's about to step on. Least he's not at the Beast's Castle, that's a whole other can of worms lol.**

**Just wanted to let you all know that I've started at Tumbler page for this series! There you will find random facts and trivia about the series and learn some new things about the characters that haven't be revealed in the stories! If you wanna know more about your favorite characters just type in 'trail of memories fanpage'. **

**Now let's get on with the story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

Déjà vu was the only thing that came to Riku's mind when he looked around Monstro's mouth. He didn't know how or why Monstro was part of the sleeping worlds, but he figured if a programed world could sleep then maybe a whale could as well.

"Pinocchio! Son! Where have you run off to?"

Riku saw Geppetto on a broken ship, scanning the wreckage that Monstro had swallowed up.

"Isn't that Geppetto? Why is he still trapped within Monstro?"

Carefully making his way across the slippery surface of the whale's mouth, Riku made it to Geppetto's ship.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Geppetto looked shocked that there was someone else trapped inside Monstro.

"Goodness, who are you?"

"I'm Riku"

Geppetto looked at Riku sadly.

"Oh, Riku, you poor lad. Seems you were swallowed up by Monstro just like the rest of us. My name is Geppetto, and I'm looking for my son, Pinocchio"

Once again, the feeling of déjà vu hit Riku with full force.

"Pinocchio's gone missing?" 

"I'm afraid so" Geppetto said sadly.

"After all my searching, I found him here in the whale. But then he ran off again to who knows where"

Riku's stomach dropped as he heard this.

"That sounds kind of…familiar" he said slowly.

Of course, it was familiar. The last time he was inside Monstro, he was working for Maleficent in hopes of saving Kairi. The evil sorceress made him go on tasks to help her find the princesses of heart that could then be used to open the door to darkness. One of those tasks was to capture Pinocchio so she could see how a puppet was able to move without a heart.

Looking back at that time, he couldn't believe he was willing to stoop so low as to kidnap a child for Maleficent. He was thankful that Sora and Hikari kept him away from the little boy because he would have never forgiven himself if anything had happened to poor Pinocchio.

Thinking back to his current situation, he wondered if this was a chance for him to redeem from his past actions? He obviously knew where Pinocchio was hiding in Monstro, so he would be able to find him and bring him back.

He knew this had nothing to do with the exam, but he really didn't care. It was the right thing to do and he would be able to fix the mistakes he made in the past.

"Mister Geppetto, let me look for your son" he offered.

Geppetto looked surprised that a stranger would offer to help.

"You would do that? Are you sure?"

Riku nodded. "Of course. Leave it to me"

He went to leave the ship when he was stopped by Jiminy.

"Did ya say you were really going to help us find Pinocchio?"

Riku was about to ask the cricket why he was here and not with Sora or Hikari but remembered this was a dream version of him.

"I am. Do you have any idea where he could have gone?"

Jiminy scratched his chin.

"Well, I'm almost certain he wandered off with a stranger"

"Can you describe them?" Riku pressed.

The more information he had the easier it would be to find Pinocchio.

"Hmmm…. I remember he was dressed in a black coat"

There was one person that came to mind when Riku head 'black coat' and it wasn't good. If that Mysterious Figure was with Pinocchio, the he was bound to hurt the little boy. He needed to act fast before the worse could happen.

"Thanks for the info" he said as he walked away.

He didn't get far when Jiminy jumped onto his shoulder.

"Well, I'm going with ya. Pinocchio's gonna need his conscience and that's where I come in"

Riku thought that was probably a good idea. If Pinocchio saw a familiar face he would be willing to go back with Riku.

With that in mind, he walked further into the whale, hoping he would catch Pinocchio before the Mysterious Figure took him away.

/

It wasn't hard navigating through Monstro. They were inside a living animal so there really was only one way for them to go.

Riku tried to remember where Pinocchio went the last time he was here and hoped he was ok. He still couldn't stop feeling guilty for what he did in the past. What was he thinking? Trying to kidnap a child for the sake of saving a friend? This was one of the many reasons why he felt he didn't deserve the Keyblade or the title of Master.

'_A real wielder of the Keyblade would never resort to dark measures to help his friends. I really am pathetic'_

Sunny went over to him and nudged him on the arm.

Riku looked at the ram and smiled a little. He couldn't help but think of Taiyouko when he looked at his Dream Eater. Whenever he was down or thought badly about himself, Taiyouko would just grab his shoulder and give him a reassuring squeeze. She always knew when he needed her and would always give him advice when he felt lost. Despite being Hikari's mother, she acted like his own mother and treated him like a son.

'_Wish you were here, Taiyouko. I could really use your advice right about now'_

Jiminy spotted something up ahead and pointed at it.

"Look!"

A little farther ahead of them was Pinocchio holding hands with the hooded Mysterious Figure.

Riku ran after them, hoping to catch them before they got too far.

"Pinocchio!"

Pinocchio and the Mysterious Figure stopped walking to turn to them.

"Jiminy!"

Riku summoned his keyblade and aimed it at the Mysterious Figure.

"Let him go. Now!" he ordered.

The Mysterious Figure didn't do anything for a moment, which bothered Riku. Then, surprisingly, he gently pushed Pinocchio towards Riku and Jiminy.

The little cricket jumped off Riku's shoulder and rushed over to the little boy.

"Thank goodness. Are you alright? Riku and I looked everywhere for ya"

Pinocchio nodded.

"Uh-huh. I'm just fine. Sorry about that, Jiminy"

Riku glared at the Mysterious Figure, stepping in front of Pinocchio in case he decided to take the boy again.

"Why were you trying to take Pinocchio? What do you want?"

The Mysterious Figure pulled his hood back. Instead of seeing the creepy boy who had been following him at the start of his exam, he was shocked to see-

"Me?!"

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Staring right back at him was his younger self. He looked just like he did when he left the islands for the first time…like he did when he gave into the darkness.

This couldn't have been a coincidence. First, he appeared in Monstro to recount events that had happened in the past, and now he was seeing his past self.

"Why are you here? What's going on?"

His past self didn't say anything. Opening a dark portal, he simply walked through it, never to be seen again.

"As I live and breathe…who was that?" Jiminy said.

Riku looked at the ground sadly.

"That was my…my dark side" he said quietly.

"I gave into the darkness once. And ever since, it's chased me around in one for or another. The Seeker of Darkness who stole my body…a puppet replica of the shadows in my heart…and now I'm facing me"

Pinocchio tilted his head, clearly showing he had no idea what Riku said.

"Gee, Riku, don't you have a Jiminy like I do?" he asked.

"He's my conscience. He's taught me all kinds of important stuff. Maybe you just need somebody to show you what's right and wrong"

Jiminy nodded.

"Yeah, you can't shoulder all your problems alone, ya know. You must have somebody-a friend you can talk to?"

Riku looked at Sunny to see her approach him and nudge his arm once more. He smiled as he stroked her face. While he conscience wasn't here like Jiminy, she was still close to Riku, showing him the right path to take.

"Yeah…actually I do" he said gently.

"That little nudge she always gives me-she's the best teacher I could ever have"

The moment was ruined when Monstro started to suddenly tremble violently.

Knowing something was off, Riku picked Pinocchio up and set him on Hika's back.

"Pinocchio, Jiminy, you should head back. I'll see what's shaking things up"

He gave Hika a meaningful look.

"Take them back to Geppetto and stay with them until I come back. I won't be long"

Hikari took off to the mouth of Monstro while Riku and Sunny headed to the whale's stomach.

Whatever it was that was causing the whole place to shake, he hoped it wasn't because it was something the whale ate.

/

When Riku made it to the stomach, he wasn't surprised to see a Nightmare wreaking havoc. The CharClawbster kept shooting off fire from its claws and burned the walls of Monstro's stomach. Riku knew it wasn't a good idea for this to continue. If Monstro got seriously hurt because of this then he could only imagine what would happen to Pinocchio and Geppetto.

Getting onto Sunny's back, he tried to defeat the lobster like Nightmare while making sure to not give Monstro an upset stomach.

Sunny jumped around the stomach, making sure to keep the Clawbster in the open so it wouldn't accidentally hit anything.

Riku tried to figure out what would be the quickest way to get ride of this thing. He really couldn't fight it since it would surely upset Monstro's stomach with all the commotion. Magic was tricky too cause if he missed hitting the Clawbster, he could do a lot of damage to Monstro's body.

There had to be a way to win this fight without any negative setbacks.

As Sunny kept dodging the Clawbster, Riku noticed that the ram was avoiding greenish looking puddles. He thought that was odd but realized they were in the stomach so that had to be stomach acid.

'_Stomach acid usually breaks down food. I wonder if it can break down Nightmares?'_

Seeing no other options, he decided to test his theory out. Urging Sunny, he got the Clawbster's attention and lead it towards the acid. The ram sprinted full speed into the largest looking puddle and at the last second, she jumped over to the other side.

The Clawbster wasn't so lucky as it slid into the acid. Sure enough, the acid was strong enough to melt the Nightmare. The Clawbster let out a painful cry as its body melted away. Riku and Sunny watched as it slowly melted away before denigrating into dark particles.

Riku let out a sigh of relief when the Nightmare was gone.

It seemed this exam showed that a battle could happen _literally _anywhere and to survive you needed to think fast and use everything to you advantage.

/

When Riku made it back to the mouth of Monstro, he was relieved to see Pinocchio and Jiminy safely reunited with Geppetto.

He knew this didn't fix what he did in the real world, but it made him feel like he corrected one of the mistakes he made in the past.

He recalled something Taiyouko told him before he took his exam. He remembered feeling just as guilty back then as he did now about his mistakes, but Taiyouko told him something the suddenly sunk in.

/

_Riku stood near the docks on the mainland, staring at the small island that he and everyone went to. It never occurred to him that such a small place would be the starting point to a huge adventure. He was there when this whole mess with Xehanort started and he was there when Mickey informed them about the Mark of Mastery exam._

_Who knew such a small place would hold such importance?_

"_Riku!"_

_Taiyouko walked over to him._

"_Everyone's getting ready to go see Yen Sid. You all set for the trip?"_

_Riku nodded as he looked back at the ocean. _

"_Yeah. I just needed a moment to myself"_

_Taiyouko didn't need to say anything to that. Being Riku's traveling companion for so long, she knew how his mind worked and how he tried to grasp certain situations. That's why they made such a good team._

"_I bet you must be excited about this exam. You'll be a full fledge Keyblade Master then"_

_Riku didn't say anything to that. Why should he be excited over something he didn't deserve? _

_Taiyouko tilted her head slightly._

"_You having second thoughts?"_

_Riku shook his head._

"_Not exactly. I'm not nervous about taking the test"_

"_But?" Taiyouko gently pressed._

_Riku just hung his head shamefully._

"_Do I even have a right to take it?" he finally said._

"_Sora and Hikari deserve it. They helped so many people and saved countless worlds. But me? What did I do to deserve this chance?"_

_Taiyouko placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze._

"_You do deserve this, Riku. Sora and Hikari weren't the only ones who saved the worlds. You helped them when their memories were tampered with at Castle Oblivion, you were one of the people who destroyed Organization XIII. You have every right to become a Master"_

"_No, I don't" Riku said._

"_I gave into the darkness once. I became Ansem's puppet and almost harmed my best friend and the girl I love. If I hadn't made those mistakes, then maybe none of this would have happened"_

_Taiyouko didn't say anything. She knew Riku still felt guilty for what he did in the past. She never blamed him or judged him by his past actions though. She had made plenty of mistakes herself so who was she to judge? _

_Still, she couldn't stand seeing this sweet boy carry such a weight on his shoulders. _

_She pulled Riku into a hug and gave him a tight squeeze. _

"_We all make mistakes, Riku. Its just what people do. Some are silly, and some are dire, but in the end we're all going to make a few in life. You might not be able to fix them all, but you can at least learn from them. Just because you made a few mistakes in the past doesn't mean you're a horrible person"_

_Riku didn't say anything, instead he returned the hug. It was times like these that he was reminded how thankful he was that he had Taiyouko as a traveling companion. _

_Taiyouko smile gently as she held the boy that she considered as her second son. Even though Riku acted very mature for his age, deep down he was still a teenager and like most teenagers, he still needed advice._

"_Even if I can't be with you during these exams, know that I'm always here for you" she said gently._

"_No matter how many mistakes you make or how you struggle, I'm always going to be in your corner"_

/

Riku smiled as he recalled that memory.

"Thanks, Taiyouko" he said quietly.

What she told him was true. He made mistakes in the past and he was sure to make more in the future, but in the end that was ok. He was only human, so he wasn't going to be perfect.

'_I may not be able to fix the mistakes I made in the past, but at least I can learn from them' _he thought.

'_And with that knowledge…maybe I'll have what it takes to be a Keyblade Master'_

/

**A/N: Awww, that was some wise words from Taiyouko. I gotta say out of all the friendships that we've seen in this series, Riku's friendship with Taiyouko has got to be my favorite hands down. They've both done things in the past they're not proud of and they don't judge each other from it. They get that the other has gone through hell and they try to help each other out as best as they can, be it giving words of advice or having each other's back in a battle. **

**They're basically an example of what Terra's relationship with Erauqs could have been if they didn't hide things from each other and have trust issues lol. **

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Take care!**


	10. Return to Traverse Town: Hikari's Side

Chapter 10: Return to Traverse Town: Hikari's Side

**A/N: Boy oh boy we're getting to the home stretch here. Just two more worlds for Hikari and she'll be near the end of her journey! It seems she's been through quite a bit since her exam began but she's a tough girl, so I know she'll pull through lol. **

**It seems she's been brought back to Traverse Town. Wonder why that is? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my OC's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

Back at Yen Sid's Tower, Mickey, Donald and Goofy waited for the exam to finish. They were nervous for their friends but had high hopes for them. It was just the sitting around part that they didn't enjoy.

"Gee, I hope Sora and Hikari are ok" Donald said.

"They'll be just fine as long as Riku's with them" Goofy reasoned.

Donald just slumped in his seat. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt helpless right about now. He and Goofy were always looking after Sora and Hikari ever since they met them. They always made sure they were safe and aiding them with their battles. How was he able to watch over them with their exam if he couldn't be there for them?

He never realized how much he needed those two until now.

Mickey was rather quiet as well but for different reasons. He had no doubt that Sora, Riku and Hikari would pass this exam. They had shown time and again just how brave they were and would face any obstacle that came in their way.

He did however have concerns for the reason why they suddenly needed this exam and that meant for them.

Yen Sid mentioned that Master Xehanort was to return and that they needed to prepare. Why mention that now and not before?

It was obvious his old teacher wasn't telling him something. He needed to know if he wanted to protect his friends.

"Master Yen Sid?"

Before he could ask his question, Diablo flew into the room and landed on Yen Sid's desk.

"It's Maleficent bird"

Donald noticed the raven had something tucked within his beak.

"What's that in his mouth?" 

Diablo dropped Queen Minnie's crown and a note on the table before flying off again. Mickey paled when he saw his beloved Queen's crown.

"That's Minnie's"

He quickly snatched the note and read it.

"It's from Maleficent…she's kidnapped Minnie"

That caused Donald and Goofy to freak out.

"She took Queen Minnie?!"

"But I thought Hikari's mother and Tsukiko were watching her?" Donald said.

"Something must have happened to them if they let Maleficent take Queen Minnie" Goofy realized.

Mickey read the rest of the letter, each sentence worse than the last one.

"The letter said for me to return to Disney Castle…or else"

Yen Side wasted no time into giving orders.

"Mickey, there is no time to waste"

He didn't know what the sorceress wanted but knowing her, it couldn't be good.

"I'll keep an eye on the exam. You go to Minnie and see what Maleficent is up to"

Mickey nodded in understanding. He knew Sora, Riku and Hikari would be fine without him. Right now, Minnie needed his help.

Taking Donald and Goofy with him, they went onto the Gummi Ship and headed for Disney Castle.

Watching the ship leave, Yen Sid felt something dreadful starting to brew up.

"The timing is too perfect…too calculated" he slowly said.

"Maleficent must sense a chance in the forces of darkness…a change…like Xehanort"

/

"_I saved you from a terrible fate" "If you knew what was going to happen to you, you would be thanking me" "Daddy is always watching over his little princess"_

Xemnas's words kept playing over and over in Hikari's head. She tried shaking it off, telling herself that he was just spouting words to mess with her head. Yet deep down, she knew in her heart this was something she couldn't ignore.

What did he mean when he said he saved her?

She tried picking through the memories she had of the man she thought was her father and couldn't recall any time he saved her.

He did retract the darkness that was placed in her heart after she defeated him, but that was because he knew he lost control of her. There was no way he would help her. He wanted to use her, plain and simple.

But if that was the case…why did he still act like he was her father? He kept referring himself as such, so why was that? Was he just mocking her that he tricked her into thinking that? Was it a game to him? Or…did he really think he was her father?

She quickly shook that thought away as soon as it entered her head. No. There was no way he thought like that. Someone like Xemnas had no use being a parent. He only acted that way so he could lure her into his trap. All those memories, all those cherished moments she had of Xehanort as a little girl was just an illusion.

As Lulu flew Hikari to her next world, she decided to push always those thoughts about Xemnas.

She wasn't getting any answers and quite frankly she didn't want to find out anymore. She already knew that he didn't care about her so why focus on someone who wouldn't show her love?

/

Hikari found it a little odd that she was back in Traverse Town.

"Why am I back in Traverse Town? Is everyone alright?"

She certainly hoped nothing was wrong. The last time she was here, they Mysterious Figure was causing havoc on her version of this world as well as Sora and Riku's.

Was that creepy kid causing trouble again?

"Why hello there, Hikari. I've been waiting for you"

Joshua strolled up to her with his usual aloof manner. Hikari was relieved when she saw Joshua. If anything was acting up on this world, he would know since he created it.

"Hey, Joshua. Is everything ok?"

Joshua shook his head.

"Sadly no" he said.

"Things have been a little wonky here since you left. This version of Traverse Town has been acting up and causing the other two versions to do the same"

"How so?"

"Well, for starters Rhyme isn't on this version of the town anymore, but rather on Riku's…and like a chain reaction people from both Riku and Sora's version wound up here"

That threw Hikari off. When she was last here, Joshua explained to her that it wasn't possible to travel to Riku's version of the sleeping worlds thanks to the portal. The fact that Rhyme ended up on Riku's version of Traverse Town meant that something must have tampered with the portal.

"Do you think it has something to do with the boy in the black coat?" she asked.

"He tried messing with the portal you created before" 

"I can't say" Joshua said.

"Although…while this was happening, a very strange Dream Eater appeared. I noticed it was appearing on Sora and Riku's side as well"

A Dream Eater that could hop between sleeping worlds? Now that was alarming. However, that did raise Hikari's curiosity. If a Dream Eater was able to jump between worlds, did that mean….

"If others are able to swap between different versions of this world, does that mean Riku or Sora could be here too?"

Joshua shook his head as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Hard to say. Portals are rather tricky You could be close to one another or you could be miles away. They may be here now, but chances are they're still stuck on their own version of the town"

"I see" Hikari said quietly.

She should have known it wouldn't be that simple. None of them were tied to the sleeping worlds. What may have affected a 'dream' wouldn't have the same reaction to someone like her. That was the world order after all.

But she couldn't be upset over that. She would see Sora and Riku again once they finished their exam. Waiting a little longer wouldn't hurt her.

"It's ok. I know I'll see them later" she said.

"Besides, this gives me more time to practice and show them what I've learned"

Joshua smiled a little.

"Seems like you're the kind of person who sees the glass as half full. Good trait to have in times like these"

Hikari smiled a little. Since she couldn't do anything about seeing her friends, she felt it was best to focus on their current problem.

"So, do you want help with that Dream Eater? I don't think your friends have much experience with them like I do"

"That would be helpful" Joshua admitted.

"I'll even introduce you to Neku and Shiki. They came from Sora and Riku's version of the town so maybe they can tell you about them"

He took her to one of the next districts where hopefully they would be able to figure out what was going on with this world.

/

They found Neku and Shiki near the fountain plaza. The two of them were trying to get rid of a group of Nightmares that had gathered, but it appeared they were outmatched.

"This is starting to wear me down" Shiki groaned.

Hikari quickly rushed to their aid and stood in front of them.

"I'll handle this!"

Neku was surprised that a sudden newcomer appeared.

"Who are you?"

Hikari summoned her Keyblade and faced against the Nightmares.

"We'll do introductions later. Right now, let me get rid of these guy"

With the help of Lulu and Riki Bat, she was able to clear the plaza out. When the last of the Nightmares were gone, she propped her Keyblade on her shoulder.

"I think I've gotten a lot better since I was here last. Those Nightmares barely put up a fight"

When Neku saw Hikari's Keyblade, it dawned on him that this was Sora's friend.

"That weapon…I saw Sora had something similar to that"

Hikari spun around to look at Neku when she heard that.

"You know Sora?!" she asked.

"I guess that means you came from his version of Traverse Town"

Neku looked relieved that he wasn't talking to another airhead like Sora.

"You're a lot sharper that Sora" he said quietly.

Hikari chuckled nervously. She knew all too well how Sora could be at times and how his personality would throw people off.

"Yeah, it takes him a while to figure things out" she admitted.

"My name's Hikari by the way"

Neku simply nodded.

"Neku. This is my partner, Shiki"

Shiki tilted her head in curiosity as she looked at Hikari. After hearing about her from Riku, it was kind of daunting to see said person.

"So, you're Riku's girlfriend? He's told me a lot about you"

"You've seen Riku?" Hikari asked.

If Shiki came from Riku's version of the town then that meant she knew how he was doing. She was worried about how her boyfriend was handling this exam so now was the perfect chance.

"Yeah, he helped me out before I came to this version of the town" Shiki explained.

"He talked a lot about you. Now that I met you, I can see why he loves you so much"

Hikari smiled sweetly as she thought of her beloved. Even when they were apart, he made it known that his heart belonged to her.

Looking at the two newcomers, she finally had her chance to hear how Sora and Riku were doing.

"Do you know how they're both doing? Were they ok when you last saw them?"

Before either could respond, Joshua cut them off.

"I'm afraid small talk will have to wait. That Dream Eater I mentioned before just appeared from a different version of this world"

That caught Hikari's attention.

"You mean it keeps jumping to where Sora and Riku are?"

Joshua nodded.

"Yes, and we can't get rid of it when it keeps jumping like this" he explained.

"I'm sure Riku and Sora will do what they can on their ends, but we need to trap it before it decides to jump again"

Hikari knew this was a tricky situation. If this Dream Eater could jump between dreams, it could use that chance to surprise attack either Sora or Riku. Not only that but if it got injured in one of the fights, it could just jump to a different version of the town and heal. She needed to contain it fast.

"I think I have an idea" she said.

"Meet me at the Third District. We'll trap it there"

Joshua headed off to see where he could locate the Dream Eater which left Hikari alone with Neku and Shiki.

"Why trap it in the Third District? Wouldn't you want it to be somewhere a little bit bigger, so you have room to fight?" Shiki asked.

"That's exactly why I wanna trap it in the Third District" Hikari explained.

"Less room means less chances for it to escape"

"That is a pretty smart move. I don't know if Sora would have thought of that" Neku said.

Hikari chuckled a little. Neku had a point. While Sora was cheerful and brave, sadly he could be an airhead at times. Usually it was either Goofy or herself that used their brains in the group.

"How are Sora and Riku doing? I haven't seen them since I first came to this world"

"Sora's…ok" Neku said.

"He's a little too cheerful for my taste, but he seemed determined to pass this test he was taking. He wanted to prove to you guys how strong he's gotten"

"Riku was the same" Shiki added.

"But he was looking for you too. He said he didn't want you to be alone on this test you're all taking"

Hikari gripped the front of her shirt where she could feel her heart beating. Even during taking this exam, he was still thinking about her and making sure she was safe.

'_Riku'_

Hearing this made her even more determined to stop this portal jumping Dream Eater. Sora and Riku always had her back in the past and now it was her turn to return the favor.

Spinning on her heel, she headed for the Third District.

"Time to go stop a Dream Eater"

Neku and Shiki looked at each other and shrugged. They didn't know what was going on through Hikari's head, but they were curious to see what she was going to do next.

/

When they made it to the Third District, Joshua was waiting for them with one of his portals.

"Brace yourselves" 

He activated the portal and brought the Spellican Nightmare to Hikari's side of Traverse Town.

Hikari didn't hesitate as she threw herself into the battle. Every time she tried to get close to the Nightmare, it would summon past Dream Eaters she dealt with on worlds she had been on. They put up a fight but so did she. She was stronger than when she began this exam and she showed it by fighting back.

When all the Dream Eaters were gone, all that was left was the Spellican. Knowing it was no match against Hikari, it jumped through a portal and escaped.

"It got away!" 

She looked at Joshua, hoping he would know where it went.

"Did it go to Sora or Riku's version of the town?"

Joshua tried sensing where the Nightmare was but shook his head.

"I don't sense it on either image of the town…or for this world in general. I think it really left for good"

Hikari didn't like the sound of that. It was bad enough that thing could jump from one image of this world to the next. If it was able to do that on other worlds, then Sora and Riku were going to be in trouble.

"I have to find it. I don't want that thing giving Sora or Riku any trouble while they're taking their exam"

"You think you'll be able to handle that thing on your own?" Shiki asked.

Hikari shrugged.

"I've made it this far on my own, so I should be ok. And if it gets tricky then that's just another way of improving my strength"

"You want me to give Sora or Riku a message if I see them?" Joshua asked.

Hikari shook her head as she smiled.

"No. I'll see them soon. Besides, I wanna surprise them with how much stronger I've gotten"

Joshua smiled, feeling a little impressed.

"In that case, good luck" 

"We're rooting for you!" Shiki cheered.

"Come visit us in Shibuya once you finish your exam" Neku offered.

"It's a promise!" Hikari said.

As she started to leave, Joshua quickly stopped her.

"Wait, Hikari. I forgot to give you a message from Riku"

He looked serious as he tried to best explain what he was about to say next.

"As I'm sure you noticed, Rhyme, Shiki and Neku were able to cross the portal to reach other images of the town. When that happened, I noticed something strange going on with each image. It was as if time was going a different pace. Your version seems to be going the same pace as Riku's, however Sora's was going much slower"

That made Hikari confused. Why was time going slower for Sora but not for Riku or herself? Did it have something to do with the exam? Then again time acted differently for each world.

"Well…time isn't the same for each world" she tried to reason.

"It can be considered a day here on this world but on the next one it's already been a week ahead"

"Riku said something similar" Joshua said.

"Its true different worlds follow different time flow from each other, but that shouldn't be the case for a single world. A world can't have two different time flows, it's just not physically possible"

Now that Joshua said that, Hikari knew he had a point. A world shouldn't have multiple time lines going at once.

"Do you think it has something to do with this world being a dream world?" she asked.

Joshua shrugged.

"I can't say. However, Riku thought you might be able to figure this out. That's why he asked me to tell you this information"

'_Riku…do you sense something wrong?'_

If Riku was warning her, then that meant something was off.

"Thanks for the information. I'll get to the bottom of this"

As she walked away, she heard Joshua give her one final warning.

"Be aware of your surroundings, Hikari. Dream worlds aren't supposed to act this way"

/

**A/N: I think Hikari is slowly starting to realize that she's not in the sleeping worlds anymore. The question is, will she figure it out before it's too late? And Sora's world going slower than Riku and Hikari's?  
**

**Looks like Yen Sid senses something is going on with the forces of Darkness. Just what are Maleficent and Master Xehanort up to?**

**And for those of you who are The World Ends with You fans, I apologize for not adding the time clock gimmick to the characters. I've never played the game to I was confused how it worked so I just had Joshua say that time was running differently between Sora's and Riku's worlds.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!  
**

**Take care!**


	11. Lovers Reunited

Chapter 11: Lovers Reunited

**A/N: Technically this is Riku's half of Traverse Town, but since his side of the story was WAY short, I decided to focus on something more exciting. As I'm sure you can tell by the title, a certain couple will be reunited after they thought they would never see each other again. **

**To all the Axel x Tsukiko fans out there, here's the chapter you've been waiting for!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I just own my oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

Riku found it odd that he was back within Traverse Town. After he completed things from the last time he was here, he didn't think he needed to return. Yet, for some reason his Dream Eaters felt like he needed to come back. Whatever was going on in this world, it required his presence.

"Riku. Nice of you to join us"

Joshua walked up to him, acting as if they were old friends. The fact that Joshua was acting friendly made Riku realize something was up.

"What happened?"

"Trouble happened. I was hoping you three would help"

When Joshua said 'you three' he knew something must be up if Sora and Hikari were involved.

"When did Sora and Hikari get here?"

Joshua smirked. Leave it to Riku to get to the heart of the situation.

"Bravo, Riku. It took Sora a while to realize what was going on" he teased.

"But let's get down to the problem. We've got a nasty Dream Eater on our hands. It keeps jumping between worlds. Not only that, it knows how to summon creatures like it- pretty powerful ones, too. The others are on a mission to stop it, but they need help"

"Others? You mean Shiki and her friend?" Riku asked.

"That's right. They all found their game partners and Shiki is fighting over in Hikari's version of Traverse Town" Joshua explained.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she was helping them out"

Riku was relieved Shiki found her partner. He remembered how desperate she was to find him, even going so far as to help the Mysterious Figure.

"Good to hear. So, what can I do to help?"

"The Dream Eater reappeared in the fountain plaza. I sent Beat and his partner to face it"

That's all Riku needed to hear.

"I'm on it"

He started to walk away but was stopped when Joshua grabbed his shoulder. The boy looked serious all of a sudden.

"Riku. There's something else you need to know. These three Traverse Towns that were separated by the portal…I was under the impression they were parallel to one another, but it looks like I was wrong"

"Wrong how?"

Joshua rubbed his neck, clearly not happy about this situation.

"That's where it gets tricky. After you three left, Shiki crossed the portal to enter Hikari's side of the town and Neku who was in Sora's version shortly joined after" he said.

"When that happened, I noticed that time seemed to be different between the two. When Shiki crossed, it was two days after you left but for Neku, it was a week later. This town is going the same pace as Hikari's…but Sora's appears to be going slower"

Riku pondered over Joshua's words. He recalled that time flowed differently between worlds, so this shouldn't be that alarming.

"So, time flows differently here and there? So what? That's true of any two worlds"

Joshua didn't seem to think the same way since he still looked serious.

"Yes, I understand that. But if these Traverse Towns were supposed to be parallel to each other, then time would flow the same in every version of it. But it doesn't which means they're not parallel"

Riku tried to grasp what Joshua was saying. If all their versions of the town were supposed to follow the same time flow, then why were they suddenly not?

"So, are you saying there's a past and future version of this town? It could explain the time gap between Shiki and her partner" he thought.

"No. Impossible" Joshua said.

"The worlds are clearly separate-it's not just time that sets them apart. As you yourself noted, every world flows at its own pace, which tells me that for all their similarities, Sora's world is very separate from yours and Hikari's"

That just confused Riku even more.

"Is that even possible?" he asked.

"Perhaps" Joshua sighed.

"But this is all conjecture. It's like the same world imagined by two people. What does that tell you? That we're in…"

"A dream" Riku finished.

"That's right" Joshua said.

"In which case none of this may matter one bit to me or my friends. But to you, Sora and Hikari, I think it might be a vital clue"

Everything Joshua said was a little baffling to Riku. All this time he thought he was in the same version of this world with his friends, but now he was learning that wasn't the case. They could be in a dream but at the same time it was hard to tell.

Whatever it was that was going on, he knew not to ignore Joshua's words.

However, now wasn't the time to try to process this information. He still had a Dream Eater to take care of.

Leaving Joshua to himself, he hurried to the Plaza where he knew Beat needed help.

/

Sure, enough when Riku made it to the Plaza, he knew Beat was in trouble. Both he and Rhyme were up against the Spellican and it looked like the Nightmare wasn't taking it easy on them.

"Beat!" Riku called as he reached them.

"About time, yo!" Beat snapped.

When Riku made it to Beat, he noticed he didn't have his Panda Dream Eater with him.

"What happened to your Dream Eater?"

"Don't need 'em when I've got my game partner" Beat said proudly.

"And I don't need you!"

Rhyme just scoffed at her brother.

"Oh, please. Five seconds ago, it was 'where's Riku?' and now this act?"

"Ah! Don't tell him that!" Beat said hurriedly.

Rhyme just rolled her eyes and went over to Riku.

"It's so nice to meet you. I'm Rhyme" she said.

"Riku, right? Hikari was looking for you when I was on her side of the Town"

That caught Riku's attention fast. So, this was the girl Joshua mentioned. If she knew Hikari, then that meant she saw her.

"Is she ok?" he immediately asked.

He didn't know what was going on at her end so the more he knew, the better he would feel.

"Yeah, she's fine" Rhyme said.

"She seemed to be having a bit of trouble, but she was able to take care of herself. She was really determined to find you and this other boy named Sora"

Riku felt relief. She was doing alright on her own. Not only that but she was trying to find him just as he was trying to find her. It seemed even she didn't want him to take this exam on his own.

'_You worried about me, Hikari?'_

"I'm trying to find her too" he admitted.

The Spellican grew annoyed that it was being ignored and not taken seriously. Didn't these brats know to never lower your guard in front of the enemy? In a fit of rage, it out a cry.

"Save the chit chatting for later!" Beat snapped.

The Spellican summoned various Nightmares before flying off.

"Rhyme and I got this! You go after that thing!" Beat ordered.

Riku didn't waste any time as he jumped onto Sunny's back and took off after the Spellican.

Joshua jumped through one of the portals he created and landed on one of the rooftops.

"Riku! Lure it to the Third District! We're gonna pin it between words!"

"On it!"

He looked at Hika and gave her a nod.

"Catch its attention and bring it to the Third District. I'll make sure it doesn't escape"

Hika flew off and caught up with the Spellican, flying around its head. The Nightmare tried swatting the Dream Eater away, but it would always miss. Growing frustrated, the Spellican chased after Hika, determined to get her. Riku urged Sunny to go faster as the four of them headed to the Third District.

/

Once Hika got the Spellican into the Third District, Riku jumped off Sunny and lunged for the Nightmare with the intent of pinning it down.

"I got you now!"

The Spellican was faster though. Before Riku could reach it, the Nightmare opened a portal and jumped to the other Traverse Town.

Riku skid to a stop and searched the area in case the Spellican decided to reappear. When he saw that he truly was alone, he knew the Nightmare wen to the other Traverse Town. That was a big mistake on the Spellican's part because it didn't know what it was getting itself into.

"Hikari, you got this" he said to himself.

"I believe in you"

Beat groaned when he saw that the Spellican was gone.

"This is so tiring, you. Every time we chase it down…"

Riku let out a little laugh.

"I know. But we've got help on the other side. Don't worry"

Joshua looked at the night sky in thought.

"I'm afraid it's out of our hands. It's up to Hikari from here on out"

Riku looked up at the stars as he thought of his significant other, wondering if one of them was her Traverse Town.

"She's strong. I have faith in her"

Knowing there was nothing left for him in this town, he decided to continue with his test.

"Well, I'm off"

Rhyme waved while Beat gave a simple nod.

"Say hi to Hikari for me!"

"Take care, yo"

Joshua looked serious as he stepped forward.

"Riku. Remember what I said" he warned.

"Be careful. If this really is a dream, it's going to lie to you to try and make you think it's real"

Riku took his words to heart. Any type of warning he would listen. He had made too many mistakes because he didn't listen to them.

"I got it"

He started to walk away but suddenly stopped as he thought of something.

"If you see Hikari…can you tell her all of this?"

Joshua tilted his head.

"Concerned about your girlfriend's safety?"

Riku shook his head.

"Not just that. If something's going on, I want her in the loop. She might know what's going on"

Joshua just gave a single nod.

"Very well. When I visit her copy of the town, I'll tell her what's going on"

"Thanks"

Riku left the district. While he couldn't get rid of the Spellican, he did gain some useful information. He just hoped this information would help Hikari as well.

'_Hikari, whatever is going on, be careful until I find you'_

/

"Pete, you big thug!" Donald cried.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy made it back to Disney Castle as Maleficent said in her letter. What they found when they returned made their bloods boil.

Pete held Minnie hostage while Maleficent had Taiyouko and Tsukiko tied up in black thorns. Whenever they tried to wriggle themselves free, the thorns would wrap tighter around their bodies and dig into their flesh.

Maleficent looked smug as she saw how helpless everyone was before her. If felt wonderful to be on the winner's side for a change.

"I suggest you cooperate and listen to what I say" she warned.

"Or do their lives mean nothing to you?"

"Mickey! Don't you listen to her!" Minnie cried out.

"You can't let Maleficent have her- "

Pete quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from saying more.

"Minnie!"

Mickey curled his hands into fists as he glared at Maleficent.

"Alright, Maleficent. Tell us what you want"

The evil sorceress stroked her chin as if thinking of something.

"Let me see…shall I begin with this world? I much preferred it in its darker more ominous permutation"

"Yeah. You said it" Pete said.

"This place needs some lights-out time!"

Taiyouko scoffed as she glared at Maleficent.

"You played this card twice and failed both times. How long are you going to keep this up before you realize you're weak when it comes to using the darkness?"

Maleficent struck her across the face.

"Silence!" she hissed.

Mickey studied her for a moment and noticed something was off with how Maleficent was acting. She had tried to take over Disney Castle once before and failed. Why would she want the same thing when she knew the outcome would not be in her favor?

Unless…that's not what she was really after here.

"You're lying, Maleficent" he said.

"Not even you would go through this much trouble just for that. What is it you're really after?"

Maleficent's smug grin vanished when she saw she was caught.

"Very perceptive" she said.

"I presume you are familiar with Xehanort, the man who led me to discover worlds outside of my own?"

That caught both Mickey and Taiyouko's attention. They always knew Xehanort was the mastermind behind this whole madness. They never realized he was also the mastermind to Maleficent's plans as well.

"You know him?" Mickey asked.

"As do you, I see" Maleficent replied.

"Yes, he shared everything with me-how to go about winning a heart over to the darkness, and most gloriously, about the eight hearts of pure light-the ones that would grant me the power I needed to conquer all worlds. However, the worlds were too complex, too much for even me to contain. It seemed I miscalculated"

"You didn't miscalculate" Taiyouko spat.

"You were never strong enough to conquer the worlds. You tried to do so once, and you ended up being defeated by my daughter and her friends. If you couldn't handle a young girl, what makes you think you have the power to take over the worlds now?"

Maleficent slapped her hard across the face again. The hatred she felt for the young woman was etched into her eyes.

She turned back to Mickey, acting like her little outburst never happened.

"Then it came to me- of course! I could go about conquering worlds in my own manner"

She smiled darkly as she rubbed the gem on her staff.

"You do have the 'data' for all the other worlds, do you not?"

Mickey paled when he realized what Maleficent really wanted.

"Jiminy's journals"

Every single world that Sora and Hikari traveled to were within those journals. Every location, every heartless, every individual who lived on them were etched in those pages. Not only that, but they contained clues on how to get Lumen and the others back.

"Why do you want that data?" he ordered.

"I'm afraid that is no concern of yours" Maleficent scoffed.

"Don't get any ideas" Pete warned as he pulled Minnie closer.

"Wouldn't want her royal highness to get a boo-boo, now would we?"

Tsukiko struggled against her bonds, trying to get herself loose. When she couldn't, she turned to Taiyouko.

"We have to do something. We can't let them get that journal" she whispered.

However, her words fell on deaf ears as Taiyouko was struggling on her own. She heard someone talking, but it wasn't Tsukiko.

'_**Oh dear, what to do, what to do?' **_the voice hissed in her head.

Taiyouko closed her eyes and tried to shake the voice out of her head. She had tried so hard to keep that voice at bay for so many years, but lately it was pushing back as if trying to claw itself free.

'_**Looks like you're in quite the predicament, Taiyouko dear' **_the voice cooed.

'_**Your knight in shining armor isn't here to save you. But then again, why would he when he betrayed you like that?'**_

Taiyouko bit her lip as she thought of Xemnas back when he was Xehanort. Back when he made a promise to her, only to break it when he created the Heartless.

'_**Set me free' **_the voice said.

'_**Let me out of this prison so I can help your friends. Come now, dear. You haven't got much TIME' **_

Taiyouko summoned all the willpower she had in her to push the voice back deep within her.

'_I'll never let you free' _she told the voice.

'_I'll keep you locked up until the day I die, you time witch'_

Thinking that Taiyouko was still stunned from being hit by Maleficent, Tsukiko sprung into action.

Grabbing the nearest set of thorns, she burned it using Axel's powers and set herself free. Summoning her scythe, she cut Taiyouko's bonds then sent a roundhouse kick to Pete's head, setting Minnie free.

"Run!"  
She pushed the two women towards Mickey to get them away from Maleficent. Pete quickly grabbed her and slammed her head into the ground, knocking her out.

"Tsukiko!" Taiyouko cried.

Maleficent walked over to Tsukiko's body in disgust.

"I see you have failed to recognize the futility of your situation"

She aimed her staff at Tsukiko's head, where the gem started to glow.

"Very well…face your doom!"

Before she could do anything, a dark portal opened. Two very familiar chakrams flew out and aimed for Pete and Maleficent. They two jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit, but by doing so they released Tsukiko. The chakrams landed next to her, creating a wall of fire around her and the others.

Knowing they were greatly outnumbered, Pete looked at Maleficent fearfully.

"I think we better hit the road"

Knowing she wasn't going to win, Maleficent decided to retreat.

"I now know what I seek lies within these walls. Trust that I will eliminate you in good time"

With that, she and Pete retreated in their own dark portal.

With the treat gone, everyone took a chance to relax…or at least tried to knowing that there was another portal opened. They watched as a certain red head sauntered into Mickey's study. Everyone was in disbelief at who they saw that saved them.

"You used the darkness to get here? That was reckless" Mickey said.

"But gosh, I didn't expect you to save us…Axel"

The red head smirked when he heard that and dismissed the wall of fire.

"Axel didn't" he said as he picked up his Chakram.

"My name is Lea. Got it memorized?"

Taiyouko stared in disbelief. She had thought Axel had vanished for good when he sacrificed himself to save Hikari and her friends, yet here he was back as his complete self.

"How?" she whispered.

Lea scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"It's kind of a long story"

Taiyouko wore a weak smile on her face.

"We can hear about it later" she said.

"I think she's waited for you long enough"

She gestured for Lea to turn around where he saw Tsukiko still on the ground.

Rushing over to her, he knelt down and carefully picked her up. Cradled in his arms, he gently brushed the hair out of her face. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he looked at his lover. He never thought he would see her again after he sacrificed himself. He was willing to die for her if it meant she could live another day. He had accepted that and yet for some reason fate decoded to give him a second chance.

A chance to stay with her.

Ever so softly, he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Tsukiko"

Fighting off a groan, Tsukiko slowly opened her eyes. It took her a few seconds to realize that someone was holding her.

"W-what?"

Lea chuckled a little as he helped her sit up.

"That was quite the heroic act you pulled there. But next time, maybe you should leave the rescuing to me"

Tsukiko felt her heart stop when she heard that oh so familiar voice. A voice she thought she would never hear again.

"It can't be…."

Ever so slowly she turned her head to see her boyfriend kneeling next to her. Lea's smile grew when he finally saw her beautiful purple eyes again. He cupped her face with his hand and ran his thumb across her cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart"

Tsukiko forgot how to breath as she stared into his eyes.

"Axel?" she choked.

Lea didn't have it in him to correct her like he did with the others.

"Yeah, it's me" he gently said.

Tsukiko freaked out and scurried back until she hit Mickey's desk.

"This is impossible" she breathed.

"This is just a dream. You're not really here"

He couldn't be. She saw him die. She held him in her arms when he vanished into the darkness.

Lea went over to her and grabbed her hands. He squeezed them tight as he looked into her eyes.

"You're not dreaming. I'm really here"

Tsukiko shook her head.

"You can't be. I was there when you…I saw you…"

Lea decided to take drastic measures. Grabbing her face, he pulled her in for a breath stealing kiss. When he reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers, he pressed their foreheads together.

"If I was a dream, would I have been able to do that?" he whispered.

Tsukiko stared at him for a long time. Slowly, she cupped his face with her hand and felt the warmth radiate from the contact. Dreams didn't feel this real.

Tears welled up in her eyes when she realized her boyfriend really was here and alive.

"Axel!"

She threw her arms around his neck as she sobbed into his chest. All the emotions she bottled up for the past year poured out as she cried her heart out. She kept saying Axel's name over and over again as if it was a sacred prayer.

Lea held her so tight that she was sure to bruise later. Tears of his own formed in his eyes as he clung to the woman he loved above all else.

When Tsukiko finally calmed down, she pulled away slightly to stare into Lea's eyes.

"How did you survive?"

Tears fell down Lea's face as he stroked Tsukiko's face.

"I didn't have a choice" he managed to choke out.

"I had to live…I needed to come back to you…back to where my heart was"

Tsukiko let out a watery laugh before she pulled him into another heart stopping kiss.

The others didn't say anything. Nothing needed to be said. Despite the impending doom Xehanort was threatening to throw upon them, in this room they were able to see some good come out of their current situation.

As Taiyouko watched her Nobody finally get her happy ending, she hoped and prayed that this was the beginning for many more happy endings to follow.

/

**A/N: *wipes away tears* oh man, I can't tell you how long I've waited to write this chapter out. Axel and Tsukiko are finally reunited at long last. Now we just have to get to the part where Ankoku finds out Axel is back and oh lord I can already imagine her reaction.**

**Looks like something is going on with Taiyouko. If you remember near the end of Trail of Memories 2, she was starting to hear voices. Just who is it that's bothering our favorite sorceress? **

**And what promise did Xemnas break? It seems things keep getting more confusing the more we read this story.**

**Please tell me what you think!**

**Take care!**


	12. Land of Musketeers: Hikari's side

Chapter 12: Land of Musketeers: Hikari's Side

**A/N: I'm not gonna lie, I had NO idea that this movie even existed. I didn't realize this was one of those direct to DVD movies until I looked it up after playing the game lol. Weird move to put a DVD movie into a Kingdom Hearts game but hey, what do I know?**

**Do much like the Tron chapter I'm writing this blindly as I have no idea what this movie is about or how it played, so please spare me if it's crappy lol.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts; I just own my oc's **

**Enjoy!**

/

_Hikari sat next to Lumen. At this point the two young women had a set routine whenever they met in the crystal cave. No words needed to be said as Lumen shared the last bit of her memories to Hikari. _

_The young keyblade wielder watched sadly as she saw the tragic fate that was placed upon Lumen and her friends. After Eraqus's death, the four heroes went to the Keyblade Graveyard to confront Master Xehanort. While their intentions were noble, it would end in tragedy for all of them. Ven would lose his heart and fall into a deep sleep, resulting in his body being hidden in Castle Oblivion. Terra became a new vessel for Master Xehanort. His heart would be lost while his soul remained trapped at the Keyblade Graveyard, becoming the Lingering Will. Aqua ended up trapped in the Realm of Darkness when she and Lumen tried to get Terra's body back. _

_And Lumen…_

_Tears fell from Hikari's eyes as she saw what happened to the poor woman. In a desperate attempt to save her beloved, Lumen fought Xehanort. Just when she thought she had the upper hand, Xehanort struck her down and stole her heart from her. In a last attempt to stop him, Lumen broke her heart into four pieces and hid them away before she too fell into a deep sleep, never to wake up again._

_HIkari couldn't handle the pain she felt in her heart. Yen Sid had told her about Lumen and the others had suffered greatly from Xehanort. She didn't realize how horrible it would have been. _

_If that had happened to her friends, she didn't know if she could handle it. Seeing these memories showed how strong Lumen was till the end. _

_Turning to the woman who was suffering, even in her sleep, she pulled her into a tight hug. _

"_I'm gonna fix this. I promise" _

_Lumen slowly returned the hug and whispered in her ear._

"_I know you will"_

/

The next world Hikari found herself in reminded her of Notre Dame. It felt old yet powerful at the same time. As she walked through the streets, she came across a giant castle.

"Kinda looks like Disney Castle…or at least if the castle was around for a very long time"

She noticed a Nightmare scurry into the castle where it was sure to cause trouble. She doubted the castle guard knew how to handle such creatures so she quickly ran after it before it could harm anyone.

When she made it to the courtyard, she skids to a stop at what she saw. The Nightmare was defeated by the castle guards, but it was who the guards were that shocked Hikari. There, standing in the middle of the courtyard was none other than Mickey, Donald and Goofy. She hadn't seen them since she started her Mark of Mastery Exam.

Breaking into a grin, she ran towards her friends.

"King Mickey? What are you doing here?"

Mickey looked surprised when he saw a stranger run up to him.

"Huh? Have we met before?"

Hikari was about to panic that Mickey didn't know her but realized he had to be like Jiminy.

"_This must be like what happened with Jiminy. But…I'm not at Disney Castle and that world isn't sleeping. Is this an alternative version of the castle? Like with Timeless River?"_

Mickey tilted his head when he noticed Hikari didn't say anything for a while.

"You okay?"

Hikari jumped when she realized she must have looked weird to the King. Laughing nervously, she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Uh, nothing…I, uh…I was wondering…um…where I was?"

Mickey suddenly noticed Hikari's keyblade that was in her hand.

"Where'd you get that key?"

Hikari looked at her Keyblade. She figured if this version of the King didn't know who she was then he wouldn't know about the Keyblade.

"This? It's a Keybl-"

"SHHH!"

Mickey suddenly got close to her and whispered so no one would hear.

"I know. You came from another world, right?"

Hikari was shocked that this Mickey knew about the other worlds. Dumbly, she nodded. Mickey seemed to sense her confusion, so he offered her a smile.

"I'm Mickey. I'm workin' on a problem. That's why I'm in this world being a Musketeer"

That seemed to clear up some of the confusion Hikari was having, but it left her with more questions.

"_I guess this is one of the worlds he visited before he met us-and it's trapped in sleep similar to how Pinocchio's world was"_

"You seem confused" Mickey said.

Hikari laughed nervously as she waved the King off.

"Oh, it's nothing…just trying to put the pieces of a much larger puzzle together"

Just then, more Nightmare's appeared, putting their conversation to a halt.

"I'll handle these guys, Oh, I'm Hikari by the way"

She quickly took care of them and cleared the courtyard of Nightmares.

"Thanks. I sure owe ya one" Mickey said.

"Some Musketeer I turned out to be"

Goofy looked around the courtyard in confusion.

"Where did the bad guys go?"

"Everything's under control, Goofy!" Mickey explained.

"Are they…gone?" Donald asked nervously.

Hikari's face lit up brightly when she saw her two dearest friends.

"Donald! Goofy!"

Donald and Goofy were rather confused seeing a stranger get excited over seeing them.

"Who are you?" Donald asked.

"Gawrsh, do I know you from somewhere?"

Hikari bit her lip. She forgot that they were not the Donald and Goofy she knew but rathe a dream version. She knew this yet it still hurt a tiny bit that they didn't know who she was.

She simply masked her feelings with a fake smile.

"No…I guess this is the first time we're meeting. Nice to meet you"

Mickey caught on what was going on and quickly tried to fix the situation.

"Say, fellas, this is Hikari. And it doesn't matter when we met. Once we make friends, we're friends for life"

Donald and Goofy looked at each other and shrugged. If Mickey said she was a friend, that was good enough for them.

"Hi, I'm Donald"

"And I'm Goofy"

Hikari smiled as she shook their hands. They may have not been the versions she knew and traveled with, but deep down they carried the same heart.

"Friends for life"

Seeing that the situation was resolved, Mikey felt it was safe to get back to business.

"Aright, Musketeers. We gotta go protect the princess! Donald, Goofy, follow me"

Hikari looked at Mickey curiously.

"Do you need any help?"

Mickey looked alarmed that she would offer her assistance.

"But you're not a Musketeer. And this mission is fraught with danger"

Hikari just shrugged showing she didn't care.

"All the more reason I should help. When the going gets tough, the tough call their friends"

Mickey seemed hesitant but finally caved in.

"Well, alright" he sighed.

"Thank you"

Goofy got excited when he knew Hikari was joining them.

"Should we do the thing, Mickey?"

"What thing?" Hikari asked.

Goofy went up to her and whispered in her ear. What she heard put a big smile on her face.

Mickey pulled out his sword and held it in front of him.

"All for one…"

The others pulled out their swords and had the blades touching Mickey's.

"And one for all!" they cheered.

Hikari fought back the tears that threatened to fall. That was the same thing Goofy told her and Sora when they first met. That simple chant got the four of them though some tricky battles. No matter how bad the outcome was with each fight, they knew that they all had each other's backs.

Taking this exam showed just how lonely Hikari was without her friends. She wished they were here right now and would see how strong she was becoming as a person.

"Come on, Hikari! We gotta escort Princess Minnie" Goofy called out.

"Hurry up, or we'll leave ya!" Donald added.

Hikari let out a laugh as she quickly followed them. Even though she didn't have her actual friends, at least she was able to be with them in dream form.

/

Princess Minnie was safely secured in her carriage thanks for her four bodyguards. Goofy oversaw driving the carriage while Mickey, Donald and Hikari sat in the back, keeping an eye out.

Donald sighed as he slumped in his seat.

"This is boring" he groaned.

Hikari snickered at that. Even in dream form, he was still complaining about everything.

"Boring is a good thing" she said.

"Boring means no trouble, and that's the last thing we want while we're protecting Princess Minnie"

Donald just grumbled as he slumped in his seat.

"I just wish there would be a little excitement. What's the point of being a Musketeer is everything is boring?"

No sooner had he said that, a giant T-Rex like Nightmare came around the corner and chased after them.

"Looks like you got your wish, Donald!"

Jumping to the top of the carriage, Hikari summoned her Keyblade.

"I'll handle this! Just make sure nothing happens to the Princess!"

The Nightmare tried to get close to the carriage but Hikari kept it at bay with her magic. It worked for a little bit, but due to it being a tougher built Nightmare, it was able to push through and get closer to the carriage. When that happened, Hikari quickly jumped on its back and grabbed the horns on its head and steered it around. She turned towards the cliff's edge they were on and made it go off the ledge. Lulu quickly caught her as the Nightmare fell over the ledge and brought her back to the carriage.

"Everything's okay now, so we can be on our merry- "

Instead of seeing Mickey, she was greeted to the sight of a couple of burglars known as the Beagle Boys. All three of them didn't look friendly as they aimed their swords at her.

"We'll be lightenin' your load by one princess. Now make like those Musketeers and scram"

They knocked her off the carriage and took off with Princess Minnie still inside.

"Minnie!" Hikari cried.

She jumped to her feet to go after the carriage but faltered when she saw Mickey, Donald and Goofy sadly approach her.

"Are you guys okay?"

She went over to them and made sure they weren't too banged up from being thrown off the carriage.

"I'm so sorry. Those creeps must have snuck on when I was dealing with that monster"

Mickey shook his head as he smiled sadly.

"It's not your fault"

Goofy tried to cheer everyone up by trying to stay positive.

"As long as we stick together, I know we can get the Princess back!"

"It's hopeless…" Donald sighed.

Mickey went up to him and shook him a little.

"No, it isn't! Goofy's right. As a team we can do anything!"

"But how are we supposed to catch the carriage on foot? They're probably long gone by now" Donald pointed out.

Lulu made a couple of noises as she trotted around them. Hikari caught on what her Dream Eater was trying to say and smiled.

"Who said we had to travel by foot?"

She jumped on Lulu's back and gestured for the others to do the same.

"Come on! We got a Princess to save!"

The three Musketeers looked at each other and nodded.

"Let's go!"

They all jumped on and went after the carriage. They followed the wheel tracks knowing it would lead them to their prize.

"Look! There is it up there!" Goofy said.

They found the carriage up ahead but noticed it was tilted on its side. Hoping Minnie wasn't hurt, they searched the carriage for her but found it completely empty. No doubt thanks to the Beagle Boys.

"She's gotta be out there somewhere and is counting on us to come rescue her" Mickey said.

He searched around the forest, hoping to find a clue. He found it when he spotted an old abandoned tower a little ways off.

"She's gotta be in there. Let's go"

They quickly made their way to the tower. Donald groaned as they ran. "I take back wishing for something exciting to happen"

Hikari tried not to laugh. It seemed even dream Donald liked to complain as much as the real Donald did.

"What's the matter, Donald? I thought you wanted this? You get to rescue a princess! You're getting adventure! Didn't you want any of that?"

"Not anymore" Donald said flatly.

This is where Hikari noticed that real Donald and dream Donald differ. Real Donald would be excited at the thought of being famous and heroic. Being a hero meant getting a nice reward. If he saw how his dream version acted, he would zap him with his staff.

They approached the tower, where they hoped Princess Minnie was.

"Be on your guard. We have no idea what's inside" Mickey warned.

Slowly, they entered the tower, seeing no trace of the princess anywhere.

"They probably have her up at the top, so she won't escape" Hikari said.

They went up the winding staircase, reaching the very top of the tower. Sure enough, they found Princess Minnie all tied up with the Beagle Boys on watch. When the burglars saw that they had company, they pulled out their swords.

"They found us! Don't let them get the princess!"

The room turned into a giant battle royal with as Hikari and the three Musketeers faced off with the Beagle Boys. Fighting along side Donald and Goofy felt relaxing to Hikari. While they didn't fight with a staff or shield like their real versions, they still fought in the same manner as if they were up against the Heartless.

Eventually they managed to overpower the Beagle Boys and knocked them out.

Mickey rushed over to Princess Minnie and set her free.

"Princess Minnie is safe!" Mickey cheered.

"We couldn't have done it without ya, Hikari"

Hikari just smiled.

"Always happy to help"

She turned to the unconscious bodies of the Beagle Boys.

"We should probably get Princess Minnie back to the castle before someone tries to kidnap her again"

With that they took Princess Minnie out of the tower and escorted her back to the palace.

/

It was dark by the time they made it back to the palace. With the carriage broken they had no choice but to return by foot. Princess Minnie was safely tucked within her chambers which meant Mickey and the others were on guard duty. Donald and Goofy were watching different sections of the castle which left Hikari and Mickey to stand in the courtyard.

"You really were a big help today. I don't think we would have been able to save Princess Minnie without you" Mickey said.

Hikari smiled bashfully. Dream version or not, when the King complimented you, it was a big deal.

"Thank you, your Maj- I mean Mickey"

Mickey studied her for a moment before giving her a knowing smile.

"So why _did _you come to this world? I'm sure it wasn't to become a Musketeer"

Hikari chuckled a little. Even in dream form, Mickey was sharp as ever. She was quiet for a moment as she tried to explain without giving it all away.

"In a way…I guess I'm trying to be a Musketeer" she slowly said.

"I'm trying to see if I have what it takes to rescue some friends"

She looked up at the star filled sky. She remembered how Lumen would look up to a similar sky before everything fell to pieces. It was the last the last time she shared a happy moment with her friends before her world fell apart.

"They've been lost for a while…and they need help finding their way back. I wanna see if I'm the one who can bring them back home once and for all"

Nothing was said for a bit. The only sound to be heard were the crickets chirping. Finally, Mickey broke his silence as he placed his hand over Hikari's.

"You'll find them…if anyone can stop their pain and suffering, it's you"

Nothing was said after that. Nothing needed to be said really. If King Mickey's dream form told her that she had what it took to save Lumen and the others, then that was all she needed to hear.

"HELP!"

Donald quickly ran up to them looking frantic.

"What's wrong?" Hikari asked.

Donald gripped his head as he continued to freak out.

"What do we do? It's a disaster!"

Mickey grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little.

"Calm down. Start from the beginning and tell us what's going on"

Donald swatted his hand away and jumped back.

"Captain Pete is going to kidnap Princess Minnie!"

Mickey was shocked and horrified at the same time.

"What?! But he's the one who made us Musketeers" he insisted.

"It was all a lie!" Donald said.

Mickey looked at the ground but shook his head stubbornly.

"well…lie or no lie, Musketeers don't run from danger!"

"Then it's time for me to get a new job!" Donald cried.

Hikari quickly went up to him and tried to reason with him. She knew how stubborn he could be which is why the two usually butted heads.

"Donald, it'll be okay. You're so much stronger than you realize it. Trust me"

Donald shook his head sadly as he backed away.

"I can't do it. I'm sorry"

He took off, leaving Hikari and Mickey in the dust.

"Donald, come back!" Mickey cried.

Hikari placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't worry, he'll be back. I know he will" she said.

"So, this 'Captain' Pete is the culprit? Wonder what he's up to now?"

"What am I up to?" I'm up to plenty!"

Hikari and Mickey spun around to see the dream version of Pete standing near the balcony above them. The captain of the guard cackled like the idiot that he really was.

"I should have known it was you pulling a stupid stunt like this, Pete" Hikari groaned.

Much like Mickey and the others, this version of Pete had no idea who she was.

"What's this? A stranger lookin' to be endangered?"

He summoned various Nightmares to the courtyard. Mickey wasted no time as he pulled out his sword and ran for Pete.

"You take care of these things. I'll handle Pete!"

He went after Pete while Hikari was left to defend the courtyard. Despite being surrounded, she put up a pretty good fight. She was able to dispose of them whenever they tried to attack her.

'_All this fighting by myself has really been paying off. Sora and Riku will be so impressed once they see how much I've grown'_

She was lost in her thoughts that she got a little careless. When she went to black a counter attack. She wasn't fast enough, which resulted one of the Nightmares scratching her hand.

"Ow!"

She pulled her hand back to see it starting to bleed. She went to heal herself when a chilling realization hit her. People didn't get injured in their dreams. They weren't supposed to bleed or feel pain. If that was the case, then why did Hikari feel pain shoot up her arm? Why did she see blood starting to spill out from the cuts?

She suddenly recalled what Joshua said to her before she left Traverse Town.

_**Beware of your surroundings, Hikari. Dream worlds aren't supposed to act this way.**_

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to notice a Nightmare had snuck up behind her. It struck her hard on the head, which caused her to fall to the ground. As she started to black out a cold dreaded feeling sunk in.

'_Am I really dreaming?'_

/

"Hikari!"

"Hikari, wake up!"

Groaning, Hikari cracked her eyes open to see Donald and Goofy hovering over her.

"Donald…Goofy…"

With their help, she slowly sat up. Looking around the courtyard, she saw that the Nightmares were gone…as well as a certain mouse.

"Where's Mickey?"

"Captain Pete and his guys took Mickey to Mont-Saint Michel" Goofy explained.

"And that means he's in trouble! Once the tide comes in, the dungeon'll fill up with water!"

"And so, will Mickey!" Donald added.

That wasn't good. Hikari still didn't know what was going on with this world but if she was able to get hurt then surely that meant Mickey could drown. She couldn't let that happen, dream world or not.

"We gotta save him!"

"But how?" Donald asked.

"We'll find a way" Hikari said. "We're his friends and friends always get each other out of tight spots"

Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Best of friends till the very end!"

Summoning Lulu, Hikari, Donald and Goofy jumped on her back and rode off into the town, hoping they would reach Mickey in time.

/

When they finally made it to Mount Saint-Michel, Mickey's cell was filling up with water. Wasting no time, Hikari dove in. Swimming to the bottom of the pit, Mickey was found chained to the bottom. Setting him free, she quickly swam back to the surface. Mickey coughed up a bit of water before he took big gulps of air. When he gained his surroundings, he was surprised to see his friends were here with him.

"You came back"

Hikari knelt next to him and offered her hand.

"We got a princess to save and we're gonna need your help"

Mickey looked at her hand for a moment before sadly pushing it away.

"We're not even real Musketeers so what's the point? He said.

"We're nothing but failures"

Donald and Goofy looked sad since what Mickey said was true.

Hikari had never seen her friends look so sad and defeated. They were always the ones cheering Sora and herself during their travels. They were the ones who had her back when she felt hopeless and lost. She saw how the roles were reversed, she couldn't help but feel upset for them.

"Is that what you really think you are?"

She quickly jumped to her feet and gave her friends a pointed look.

"Tell me…when the Nightmares surrounded the castle's courtyard, was it a group of failures who got rid of them?"

Mickey was confused with where Hikari was going with this but slowly shook his head.

"N-no"

"And when Princess Minnie was captured by a group of bandits, did a bunch of failures follow after her so they could rescue her?"

"No"

"And when the captain of these so-called failures showed his true colors, did they not hesitate to arrest him because they knew he was in the wrong and they were in the right? "

"No"

Hikari crossed her arms in thought.

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't sound like a failure to me"

She gave them a meaningful look.

"You are Musketeers! Just because one person said that you're not doesn't mean that it's true! You don't need a fancy title or a fancy uniform to prove you're something. If that's what you feel you are in your heart, then that's all that matters! You three can do amazing things and don't you ever let someone tell you that you're not! If you believe you're Musketeers, then you're Musketeers!"

None of them said anything after Hikari's little speech. No one had ever told them that they were amazing or showed them faith like this before. It felt nice.

Mickey looked at Donald and Goofy.

"She's right. When we stick together, we can accomplish anything!"

"Yeah!" Donald and Goofy cheered.

"Pete said he was headed for the Opera house" Mickey explained.

"That's where we'll find Her Majesty"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Hikari asked.

"Let's go rescue a princess!"

They all jumped on Lulu's back once more and took off to rescue Princess Minnie in true Musketeer fashion.

/

When they made it to the Opera house, they noticed the building was oddly quiet. Not a single soul was at the theater which made things a little creepy.

"Pete must have picked a night where he knew there wouldn't be any shows" Mickey said.

They all got off Lulu, where the Dream Eater flopped to the ground in exhaustion. After carrying four people all day, the poor thing's body was tired out.

"You can sit this one out, Lulu. You've done a good job" Hikari offered.

She looked at her friends seriously.

"You have any idea where Pete might be?"

Mickey thought for a moment.

"Probably the stage. It's the biggest part of the theater"

"It'd probably be a good spot to his Princess Minnie" Goofy added.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Donald asked.

They all ran inside the theater. Sure enough, Pete was on the stage where he and the Beagle Boys were loading stuff up for transport. The four heroes jumped onto the stage and surrounded the criminals.

"The jig is up Pete" Mickey cried as he aimed his sword at his former captain.

"There's no escape!" Donald said.

"Yeah, it's four against one now" Goofy added.

Pete just cackled wickedly and walked towards one of the levers on the stage.

"I'm sure we can dwindle that down to a lower number"

He pulled the lever, which caused one of the upper shelves to drop. Dozens of heavy boxes slid down, aiming to fall on the four heroes and crush them. Yet before the boxes could reach the edge, the shelf was pulled right back up to its original place.

Pete saw what happened and was flabbergasted.

"What the?!"

He pulled the lever a few times to make the shelf fall back down but it wouldn't budge.

Hikari wondered who caused the shelf to go back up when she felt a familiar presence wash over her.

"Riku?"

Something must have happened on his side of the dream worlds and he was helping her out.

"_Even when we're not together, you got my back"_

She didn't have time to be happy thinking about her boyfriend. Right now, her eyes were set on Pete and there was no love in them when she looked at the disgraced captain.

Keyblade in hand, she faced off against Pete.

"Musketeers! Get the Princess to safety! I'll handle things here"

The trio of Musketeers ran off for the back stage leaving Hikari alone with Pete and the Beagle Boys.

"Looks like the tables have turned in my favor" Pete said.

"It's four against one, you little brat. I win"

Hikari looked bored as she went into a fighting stance.

"Don't be so sure about that"

Despite being outnumbered, the fight wasn't that much of a struggle. The Beagle Boys were just a bunch of idiots that kept knocking into each other whenever she jumped out of the way. Not only that but they were still banged up from their previous fight with her.

Hikari quickly knocked them out and went to go face Pete.

"You'll get no mercy from me, girlie" the captain said as he pulled out his sword.

"I was gonna say the same thing" Hikari replied.

When the two clashed, Hikari realized right away that dream Pete was a much better fighter than the real Pete. He held no punches and didn't act like a fool when he fought.

"_I guess this is how Pete sees himself when he dreams" _she thought.

The two fought for a while, showing no signs of wearing down or giving up. This went on for a while until Hikari spotted the lever that Pete tried to use earlier. She suddenly got an idea and grinned darkly. She fought harder and pushed Pete towards where the shelf of boxes was. When he was right under them, she jumped back and pulled the lever, causing the shelf to drop. Sure enough, the boxes slid off and toppled onto Pete, knocking the captain out cold.

"And scene" Hikari joked.

She was slightly impressed with this version of Pete. He put up a pretty good fight, but as always, he would be defeated in a humiliating way.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy came out onto the stage with Princes Minnie safe and sound.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered.

"We rescued Princes Minnie like real Musketeers!" Donald cried.

Hikari couldn't help but smile at her friend's happiness.

"Of course, you're real Musketeers. I told you if that's what you believe you are then that's what you are"

Princess Minnie went up to Hikari and gave her a curtesy.

"Thank you. Because of your bravery, you stopped Captain Pete's plans"

She went over to Pete's body and picked up his sword.

"As princess of this kingdom, it is my honor to thank you for your service"

The four heroes knelt before the princess, where she knighted them.

"In gratitude for being so brave and saving us all, I hereby officially dub thee Royal Musketeers"

Hikari smiled at her friends and pulled them into a hug.

See? I told you that you're real Musketeers!"

"We couldn't have done it without you" Mickey said as he returned the hug.

The four of them hugged each other tightly. Thanks to this adventure, their bond as friends was stronger than ever.

Knowing that it was sadly time to depart, Hikari let her friends go and gave them a meaningful look.

"You guys be careful. Being a Musketeer isn't all fun and games as I'm sure you noticed"

"We can handle it" Donald said.

"As long as we put our minds to it, we can handle anything" Goofy added.

"_That's the Donald and Goofy I know" _she thought.

"Well then, Musketeers. I think your first official duty should be to escort Princess Minnie back to the castle. I think she's had enough adventures for one day"

Giving Hikari a mini salute, the three Musketeers took Princess Minnie to her carriage.

Mickey stayed behind so he was alone with Hikari.

"Say Hikari?"

"Yeah Mickey?"

The mouse gave her a soft, encouraging smile.

"All those things you said to me at Mount Saint- Michel…I feel the same about you" he said.

"Those friends you're trying to save…you'll do it. Don't let anyone or anything try to tell you otherwise. If you say you're gonna save them, then I believe you will. Because you have what it takes to do it"

Hikari didn't know what to say. She was so focused on helping Mickey achieve his dreams that she forgot about hers. The fact that he remembered all that showed that he was trying to help her reach her dreams as well.

Kneeling, she pulled Mickey into a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you…King Mickey"

Mickey returned the hug with equal force.

"Good luck…Master Hikari"

Knowing that they were needed elsewhere, the two heroes parted ways to head towards their next dream.

/

Lulu was waiting for Hikari when she left the Opera house.

"Well, we rescued the princes and she made me a Musketeers" Hikari joked.

"You think that counts as becoming a Keyblade Master?"

Lulu just blew hot air in her face as she shook her head. Hikari just laughed as she stroked the Dream Eaters neck.

"Yeah, didn't think so"

She flinched as her hand stung from brushing against Lulu's hair. Pulling her hand back, she saw that her injuries from her fight in the courtyard were still there.

"That's right. I never figured out how I got hurt in the first place. Dreams aren't supposed to- "

She recalled again Joshua's warning.

_**Beware of your surroundings…dreams aren't supposed to act this way**_

"Dream worlds aren't supposed to hurt you…they're not like the real worlds" she slowly said.

A cold chill went down her spine as she slowly started putting everything together. Tron's world, Xemnas appearing, the young mysterious figure. Why were these in the dream worlds when they weren't even dreams?

"No…it can't be…." Hikari slowly realized.

She wasn't in the dream worlds anymore…or rather…she was never in them to begin with.

Hikari fell to her knees in shock.

"This can't be happening"

She looked up to the star filled sky. If this was happening on her side of the exam, was the same thing happening to Sora and Riku? The thought of her boyfriend and best friend being in danger caused her to panic.

"Sora! Riku!" she cried out to the skies.

"If you can hear me, we're in trouble! We're not in the dream worlds!"

/

Little did Hikari know was that standing on the roof of the Opera house was none other than Xemnas and the mysterious figure.

Xemnas merely watched as his daughter started putting the pieces together about everything. His face was unreadable as he watched her panic.

"She's far too sharp" the mysterious figure said.

"If she finds out what's really going on, then our plans will be ruined. She needs to be taken care of"

He went to raise his hand to aim dark magic at her, only for Xemnas to grab his wrist. The Nobody gave the boy an icy stare out of the corner of his eye.

"She's my child. I'll deal with her"

The look he gave the boy showed that his decision was final. The mysterious figure simply yanked his arm back.

"Very well. I'll let you have your way…for now"

He left through a dark portal, leaving Xemnas alone. The leader of the Nobodies looked back at the courtyard to see Hikari get on her Dream Eater and fly away from this world.

"I told you, Hikari" he said slowly.

"Daddy is always looking after his little princess"

/

**A/N: Oh boy, Hikari finally realized that she hasn't really been in the exam this whole time. That was kinda of my pet peeve with the game lol. Like how could Sora be that clueless about being in the Organization's trap? Hell, Goofy knew that something was up and he's Goofy! **

**It also seems like Xemnas is acting weird too. Wonder what's going on in his mind? **

**Sorry if I did a crappy telling of this world, but like I said I had no idea this was even a movie lol**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Ja ne!**


	13. Land of Musketeers: Riku's Side

Chapter 13: Land of Musketeers: Riku's Side

**A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday and got to relax. **

**Hope you're all excited about KH3: ReMind, I've heard that it's amazing so far and I can't wait to play it! **

**We're finally on Riku's side again! This wasn't my favorite world when I was playing Riku's side because it just felt like there wasn't really a story for him while he was here. Just because Sora is the main character of the franchise doesn't mean the other characters can't have interesting stories!**

**Anyway, let's get on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I just own my oc's. **

**Enjoy!**

/

"Absolutely not!" Donald barked.

With Queen Minnie safe, Mickey brought everyone back to Yen Sid's tower to figure out their next move. After learning that Maleficent knew about Master Xehanort and the secret data within Jiminy's journal, it was only a matter of time before their plans for save Lumen and the others were revealed. They didn't know how much of the data Maleficent knew about, but they couldn't take any chances. They needed to act fast before the enemy did.

Lea had suggested an insane idea which lead to Donald's little outburst.

"Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

"I don't see you coming up with anything better" Lea retorted.

Tsukiko looked at her boyfriend worriedly.

"Honey, are you sure you really want to do that?"

Lea nodded.

"It's something that I've thought about for a while. I want this"

Taiyouko, who had been oddly quiet since she arrived at the tower, looked at Yen Sid.

"Will this help us out with our little problem?"

Yen Sid stoked his beard in thought. Ever since the exam began, things had been going from bad to worse. It was obvious that this was no coincidence.

"I sensed something was amiss nearly the moment Sora, Riku and Hikari departed" he said.

"Xehanort must have known what we were attempting before we even began"

"Why didn't you pull them out of it if you sensed something was wrong?!" Taiyouko snapped.

Yen Sid the sorceress a stern look.

"You must understand, this examination is in no way how the Mark of Mastery is usually found. However, in light of what they must do next…it was a necessity. If they complete their test, by finding the seven doors of sleep, they will return home with a new power. At that point, they will be true masters. However, the dangers make this more trial than test"

"But are they safe now?" Mickey asked.

"Considering their ability, I would like to believe that they are" Yen Sid said.

"However, all my attempts to locate them end…questionably. Xehanort is a devious tactician/ There is nothing we can do that he will not, to some extent, be able to predict"

"So…."

Yen Sid sighed wearily, starting to feel his very old age.

"As you can see, the Organization's members are complete people again. Xehanort will be no different. We cannot afford another moment's hesitation. We must consider any strategy to outwit Xehanort and catch him off guard"

He looked at Lea, considering taking him up on his idea.

"I must warn you-the road will not be easy to take"

Lea crossed his arms, clearly not budging from his decision.

"I've made up my mind. Nothing you say will change it"

Yen Sid nodded solemnly.

"Very well. Travel back to Radiant Garden where you will find the wizard, Merlin. From there, he will be the one who will help you accomplish your goal"

"Got it"

Lea grabbed Tsukiko's hand as he started to leave and pulled her along.

"Come with me" he said.

He took her out in the hallway and made sure they were away from everyone before he looked at her.

"What is it, Axel?"

Lea grabbed both of her hands with his and gave them a squeeze. Tsukiko noticed that they were shaking as he looked at her.

"There's one little thing I need to do before I see Merlin…and I need you to help me with it" he started to say.

Tsukiko looked at her boyfriend in confusion but nodded. She wasn't going to throw away any chance she got to be with him, now that he was back.

"Of course. What do you need me to do?"

Lea squeezed her hands and said something she never thought he would say.

"Say what?!"

/

Things on Riku's end weren't as insane was it was with Mickey and the others. He arrived at some sort or Opera house where he noticed something was going on near the entrance.

"Wonder what's going on here?"

He walked closer and noticed it was Pete of all people. Hikari mentioned that was working for Maleficent so the fact that a dream version of him was here meant that Pete was up to no good.

'_I don't know why Pete's here, but it's obvious he's up to something'_

He quickly followed after the cat inside the opera house. The building was deserted which made it easier for him to find Pete.

Knowing it would take longer to look around by himself, he summoned Sunny and Hika to help with the search.

"If you see a large looked cat, make sure he doesn't leave this building"

Sunny quickly took off while Hika slowly started to walk away. The Pegaslick seemed to not have a lot of energy as it struggled to move forward. That bothered Riku a bit.

"You alright, Hika? Are you injured?"

The Dream Eater made a small whimpering noise but continued on. Riku started to worry now. If his dream eater version of his girlfriend was acting strangely, then did that mean something happen to Hikari? Quickly getting in front of Hika, he held her in place so she wouldn't move further.

"How about you sit this one out? You're not looking so good"

Hika just huffed and nudged herself past Riku to keep moving. Riku didn't know what to do. He had never seen his Dream Eaters act this way, so he wondered if something was wrong. Since he didn't know what else to do, he decided to keep a close eye on Hika. Despite being made of dreams, she was still a part of his team, and Riku wasn't going to lose his teammates.

/

They made it to the stage where it looked like a play was being put together. As he made his way closer to the stage, he noticed Pete and his minions setting up wooden cutouts of three very familiar figures.

'_Is that…Mickey and the others? Yeesh, those three are together even when they're made of wood' _Riku smiled.

Pete walked over to the side of the stage where the device that controlled everything was. Pulling down one of the levers, he grinned darkly when he saw a shelf drop and a bunch of boxes slid off and landed on the wooden cutouts. Riku paled when he saw what Pete was planning to do. He was trying to hurt Mickey at the others. And the fact that Mickey wasn't here on this version of the dream meant…

"He's on Hikari's side…he's going to go on Hikari's side and hurt them all"

Balling his hands into fists, he glared harshly.

"Oh, hell no"

It was bad enough that he couldn't help her with this exam. No way was he going to let some fat cat harm his girlfriend. Storming towards the stage, he ran towards the back where he saw Pete sneak off to.

'_Let's see if you really do have nine lives, fat boy'_

As he ran through the back rooms, he passed a chest that was moving and rattling. Looking at it, he cautiously pulled out his Keyblade and unlocked it. When the lid popped open, he feared that a Nightmare would jump out, but what did hop out was not what he expected.

"Minnie?!"

Princess Minnie brushed herself off, looking like she had been through a lot.

"Thank you for saving me" she said hurriedly.

She rushed past Riku, clearly in a hurry to be somewhere.

"Where are you going?" he called out.

"I have to help the Musketeers" Minnie called over her shoulder.

Thinking she was referring to Mickey, Riku ran after her.

"What happened? I wanna help"

Minnie stopped running and looked frazzled over her current situation.

"The stage has been rigged with a machine to lure Mickey and the others into a terrible trap" she explained.

As she was talking, one of Pete's minions, they Beagle Boys, was sneaking behind them with something in his hands.

"If only I could find something to control the device from here…"

Hika had spotted the Beagle Boy and saw he was carrying some sort of lever. She started making noises and stomped her foot to get their attention.

Riku glared when he saw what the Beagle Boy had.

"Hey!"

The Beagle Boy jumped and ran further behind the stage.

"That's the gadget we need" Minnie said.

Riku didn't waste any time and ran after the minion.

If he wasn't so pissed off about what Pete was trying to do, he would have found this little chase comical. The Beagle Boy would hide in one of the rooms and when Riku got close, he'd freak out and bolt for another room. Soon the minion ran out of rooms to hide in. Reaching a dead end, the poor thing pressed himself against the wall as Riku closed in on him.

Knowing that he lost, he offered the lever to Riku with shaking hands. Riku grabbed the lever and glared darkly at Pete's henchman.

"If you ever try to harm my girlfriend and her friends again, I'll skin you alive"

The Beagle Boy yelped and quickly ran off, not wanting to see if RIku would follow up with his threat.

Knowing Pete's minions wouldn't cause him any more trouble, he headed back to the machine that controlled the stage.

"Alright, Hikari. Let's make sure you don't get any injuries on your end of this world"

He put the lever in and turned it, causing the machine to start up and move the stage around. He could hear Pete freaking out, wondering why his plan was suddenly ruined.

Smiling gently, Riku grabbed Hikari's necklace and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't worry, Hikari. I always got your back, even when we're not together"

Princess Minnie rushed over to him, looking relived and happy.

"They're safe! Oh, thank goodness" she cheered.

"You truly saved the day. I see you're as brave as a Royal Musketeer"

"What's a Musketeer, anyway?" Riku had to ask.

Minnie gestured for him to come close. When he knelt, she whispered something he didn't expect.

"They really say that?"

Minnie nodded.

"Of course. Every Musketeer is taught those words. It's a very important motto and solemn pledge"

Riku wore a lop-sided smirk. He had heard this saying many times from Sora. How ironic that he would hear it in the dream worlds too.

"I guess you're right. And it does fit the moment"

He summoned his keyblade and held it up high.

"All for one…and one for all"

He felt silly for saying such a thing out loud, but he knew it would have made Sora and Hikari happy. Plus, Princess Minnie seemed happy too.

"Wonderful! Now you really do sound like a Musketeer"

She heard a commotion by the stage and gave Riku a curtsey.

"I do apologize for leaving so suddenly, but I need to make sure the Musketeers are alright"

Riku waved her off and urged her to go.

"I should be going too. Be careful and don't let Pete get away with his plans"

Minnie quickly left, leaving Riku alone with his Dream Eaters.

"All for one, and one for all, huh?" he muttered to himself.

He went over to Hika and stroked her muzzle.

"If Hikari heard me say that, she would just laugh at me"

Hika suddenly made a pained noise and swayed on her legs.

"Hikai?!"

The Pegaslick staggered forward a few steps before collapsing to the ground. Riku watched in horror as his Dream Eater glowed before dissolving into particles of light and disappearing.

"NO!"

He dropped to the ground where Hika once was. How could this happen. Why did it happen?" His Dream Eaters were an extension of him so if he was fine why did Hika suddenly vanish?

Or…did something happen to Hikari on her end of this world?

'_Hikari…please tell me you're okay' _he thought.

"Sora! Riku!"

Riku thought his heart stopped when he heard an oh so familiar voice.

It couldn't be….

"Hikari?!"

Jumping to his feet, he bolted towards the exit of the Opera house. There was no way that he heard his girlfriend's voice just now. She couldn't be here. These were his dreams.

"Riku, can you hear me?" Hikari called out.

It sure sounded like she was really here. Quickening his pace, he flew out the doors and staggered near the stairs leading to the Opera house.

He could feel his heart jump to his throat at the sight before him. Standing in the middle of the courtyard was in face Hikari. Not a projection of her like he saw in Traverse Town. It was actually, physically her!

Riku was in such shock that he lost the function to speak. His girlfriend was actually here! But how?! So many thoughts were going through his brain, yet he didn't have the power to sort them out.

'_Hikari…how are you here?'_

Hikari's back was turned towards the Opera house, otherwise she would have seen her boyfriend gawking at her. She obviously thought Riku wasn't here because she stared up at the stars, thinking he was there.

"Riku, if you can hear me, I think we're in trouble!" she called out.

"We're not really dreaming!"

That threw Riku off.

'_What are you saying, Hikari?'_

He didn't have time to think on that cause next thing he knew, Hikari jumped on her Dream Eater and flew off to leave this world.

"Hikari!" he yelled out.

He ran to Sunny and jumped on her back.

"After her!"

Sunny bolted, making sure they didn't lose sight of Hikari.

There were so many things going on in Riku's head. But the one that kept popping up was the one that he wanted the answer to the most.

'_Hikari…how did you get into my dreams?'_

/

**A/N: Now this is a strange turn of events. Hikari wound up in Riku's dreams, but, how did she?**

**And what exactly did Lea ask Tsukiko that caused her to freak out?**

**Sorry this chapter was super sort and choppy. Like I said, they really didn't add a big story to Riku's side of the game it seems like.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Take care!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Sorcery of Symphony: Hikari's Side

**A/N: Hey everyone! Hope everyone is staying safe during these crazy times. Since I'm sure you're all on lockdown like I am, I figured you would need a little entertainment and what better way to get that then with a new chapter? **

**I hope you all stay safe and that you and your loved ones are in good health. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts; I just own my oc's.**

**Enjoy!**

/

"_Have you ever heard of Forget-Me-Nots, Xehanort?" _

_Xehanort looked up at Taiyouko from his resting spot. Whenever they were stressed or had a rough day, they would hide in the garden where they first met. It was like their little safe haven. A spot where they could hide away from the real world and just be themselves. _

_Xehanort looked at the tiny blue flower that Taiyouko currently had in her hand. _

"_Not much, only that it has a strange name for a flower" _

_Taiyouko giggled a little as she twirled the flower in her fingers._

"_I suppose. Some people say that even the flower itself forgot what its name was, so it went by 'forget-me-not'. They kind of remind me of you in a way"_

_Xehanort made a face at that. _

"_I didn't forget my name, just the memories of my past" he pointed out._

"_Thank goodness for that. If you had forgotten your name, we would have had to call you 'forgot-his-name'. That's a bigger mouthful than Xehanort" Taiyouko laughed. _

"_Yes, thank goodness for that. Remembering my name is important. Not knowing who I was or where I came from is just an afterthought" Xehanort said dryly. _

_Taiyouko couldn't help but laugh full heartedly at that._

"_Come on, you know I'm just teasing"_

_Xehanort tried to keep a straight face but couldn't hold it for long and smirked. How could he not when her laughter was music to his ears? _

_When Taiyouko's laughter subsided, she looked at the blue flower wistfully._

"_They say Forget-Me-Nots will always remind you of happier times" _

_She turned to Xehanort and tucked the flower into the pocket of his lab coat. _

"_You should hold onto this"_

"_Why?"_

_Taiyouko smiled sadly as she propped her head on her bent knees._

"_So, when you do regain your memories, you won't forget about me"_

_Xehanort quickly sat up and cupped her face._

"_I would never, ever forget about you, Tai" he said seriously. _

_Taiyouko just looked out at the garden lost in thought._

"_There are those who wish they could" _

_Xehanort turned her head gently so she would look at him._

"_I'm not one of those people and you know that"_

_Neither said a word at that. No words were needed. They could see what the other was thinking by looking into their eyes. _

_Taiyouko blushed when she realized she kept staring at Xehanort and quickly averted her gaze. _

"_Um, there's, uh, one other meaning for the Forget-Me-Not. It's something meant for two people"_

"_Oh? And what's that?"_

_Taiyouko smiled and pressed a finger to her lips. _

"_It's a secret" she teased._

"_Come on! You have to tell me now that you said something!" Xehanort whined._

_Taiyouko shook her head._

"_Nope. If you want to know, you'll have to figure it out yourself"_

"_Fine, I will" Xehanort huffed. "And when I do, I'm gonna rub it in your face"_

_The two of them laughed for a tiny bit. Moments like these were something Xehanort oddly craved. He didn't have to be pitied for forgetting his past. He didn't have to be amazed for being Ansem the Wise's apprentice. With Taiyouko, he could just be…him._

_Taiyouko looked at Xehanort with a gentle look on her face._

_What she said next would be forever engraved into his mind._

"_Xehanort…do you love me?"_

/

Xemnas stared at the dried blue flower that was wedged in between the pages of a worn journal. After becoming Xehanort's Nobody, he discarded everything from his time in Radiant Garden. Well…almost everything. The only two things he decided to keep was the journal he was given after arriving on Radiant Garden…and the Forget-Me-Not flower Taiyouko gave him all those years ago.

The tiny flower had lost its color from being pressed in the book. Yet, despite being frail and withered, it kept its shape.

'_I didn't lie when I said I wouldn't forget about you, Tai'_

"Yo, Xemnas!"

Xemnas quickly snapped the journal shut and stuffed it into his jacket. Coldly looking over his shoulder, he saw Xigbar approaching.

As usual, the mangled looking Nobody gave off the vibes of not having a care in the world. He slung his arm over Xemnas's shoulder, acting like they were close buddies.

"Heard from the kid that Hikari is starting to figure out what's going on" he said.

"Thought I'd be a pal and help take care of this mess"

Xemnas glared at him and swatted his arm off. He used to do that back on Radiant Garden. He acted like they were good friends when he knew very well that they weren't. There was always something about the sharpshooter that put him on guard.

"As I told the boy, Hikari is my child so I'll take care of this problem"

Xigbar threw his head back as he cackled.

"Oh, please tell me you're still not going with that act?" he laughed.

"The cat's out of the bag. She knows that her real father is Lagu-"

He was cut off as one of Xemnas's eternal blades was inches from his face. The look Xemnas word was downright murderous and horrifying.

"Never utter that name _again_" he hissed.

Xigbar simply wore a shit eating grin.

"Oopsy-daisy, did I hit a nerve?" he taunted.

"Whatever. If you still wanna play pretend and act like you have a wife and a daughter, who am I to judge?"

He walked up to Xemnas and got real close to his face.

"Just don't get too caught up in your little fantasy, ya hear? Wouldn't want you getting cold feet when you know what's in store for your 'precious daughter'"

Next thing he knew, Xemnas wrapped his hand around his throat and squeezed it tight.

"Don't get cocky with me. That attitude of your is how you ended up like this in the first place" he said darkly.

He flung him aside, not caring that Xigbar was coughing and rubbing his neck.

"I'll tend to Hikari and make sure she doesn't hinder out plans" he ordered.

"I suggest you fulfill your part and stay out of mine"

With that, he opened a portal and stormed away.

Xigbar glared at the sport Xemnas once stood and growled.

"This little game has gone on long enough" he muttered.

"Time to end it so I can get to the good stuff"

He saw the Mysterious Figure pass by, and an evil grin spread across his mangled face.

Perfect.

"Hey, kid" he called out.

"Wanna do something fun?"

/

Hikari's mine was going crazy as so many thoughts hit her. She wasn't in the dream realm and it seemed like she hadn't been for a while. It explained why Xemnas and that strange boy were about to show up. She was still trying to wrap her head around what was going on.

Lulu made a noise, telling her they were about to arrive at their next location.

What she saw, she couldn't believe. Coming up ahead was none other then Yen Sid's tower.

"I made it out of the exams! Now I can tell Master Yen Sid what's going on"

As soon as Lulu landed, Hikari jumped off and ran inside.

'_Finally, I can see what's going on'_

She reached to the top of the tower and flung the door to Yen Sid's study open.

"Master Yen Side! Mickey! Something went wrong with the exam and I-"

She stopped short by what she saw. While Yen Sid was nowhere to be seen, Mickey for sure was. However, he looked very different to when she last saw him. He sported a red robe and Yen Sid's hat on his head.

"Wait…if I'm not back at the real tower…does that mean I'm in the dream version of it?"

The fact that Lulu was trotting around the room should have been a dead giveaway. She wouldn't be here if Hikari was at the real tower.

"I guess this is another one of Mickey's dreams then"

She went closer to Mickey where she noticed he was sleeping…or at least she thought he was sleeping. The King's eyes were closed, but he kept waving his hands as if he were performing a magical spell. The magic would glow from his hands before trailing towards this very strange music stand that was behind him.

"What's Mickey using a music stand for?"

Hikari went up to the stand and slowly reached for the music sheets.

"_Careful! You don't want to touch that!"_

Hikari jumped when she heard Mickey's voice. Thinking he woke up, she turned to talk to him. However, she saw he was still sleeping.

"_Sorry, didn't mean to startle you like that but it's kinda tricky for me to talk right now" _Mickey's voice echoed in her head.

Hikari didn't know how he was able to do that but thought it would be best not to ask.

"What's going on with the music sheet, Mickey? Why don't you want me to touch it?"

"_A monster possessed it" _Mickey explained.

"_It's releasing darkness that stops anybody from going in there to fight it. To dispel the darkness, we need a 'sound idea'"_

"And where exactly do you find a 'sound idea'?"

"_What?! You mean you'll find one for me?" _Mickey asked.

Hikari shrugged.

"Of course," '_It's not like you would be able to in your current situation' _she thought.

"_Oh, thank you!" _Mickey cried.

"So, what is a sound idea?" Hikari asked.

Another music stand appeared next to the possessed one.

"_Inside this musical score should be a power that can sweep away any darkness" _Mickey explained.

"_But you gotta be careful. In between those clefs and notes are monsters-not as strong as the big one, but still pretty strong"_

Hikari nodded in understanding. A few Nightmares wouldn't be much of a problem to her. She dove into the music sheet where a musical world awaited her.

/

The music sheet brought her to an enchanted forest where there were trees and flowers as far as the eye could see. Everything felt so peaceful as Hikari walked through the forest, hearing the birds chirping.

"It's so peaceful here. If I wasn't in the dream worlds, I would have thought I stepped into a dream"

That brought up the problem she was dealing with before she entered this world. Sitting on a tree stump, she decided now would be a good time to process everything that was happening.

"So, I know I'm not in the dream world, but it seems like I'm not in the realm of light either" she thought.

"Xemnas is able to travel here despite not being a dream, yet at the same time Dream Eaters are here. And now that I think about it, Riki Bat wasn't with me on the last world either. Does that mean Riku isn't here either?"

She sadly looked at the ground. What did this mean for Riku? Did that mean he was stuck in the dream world with Sora? Or did it mean he was in the same boat as herself?

She never felt more alone as she did at this very moment. She was in a situation she couldn't figure out and she had no one that could help her.

"I wish you were here, Riku" she whispered.

"You'd probably know what was going on. I never realized how lonely this exam made me feel until recently"

Lulu nudged her head against Hikari's and huffed in her face. Hikari smiled weakly and stroked Lulu's snout.

"I guess moping isn't going to help me figure this out" she sighed

She stood up and motioned for Lulu to follow her.

"Come on, let's go find Mickey's sound idea and then we can figure out what's going on here"

They walked towards the edge of the forest where they found a huge meadow filled with flowers. Up on one of the hills, Hikari noticed a music sheet floating.

"That's gotta be the sound idea Mickey mentioned"

She quickly ran up the hill and grabbed the music sheet.

"Perfect. Hopefully this will help Mickey out"

She went to leave but stopped when she got a better view of the meadow. It looked so peaceful and beautiful with the flowers blooming. It reminded her of the gardens back in Radiant Garden.

Back to when everything was peaceful.

/

"_Where are you?" Xehanort called out._

_He walked around one of the many gardens that made up the town. Walking around, he tried looking for a certain little girl._

"_Come out, come out, wherever you are" _

_Behind a rose bush, Hikari stifled her giggles as she tried to hide from her father figure. Xehanort sighed dramatically as he placed his hands on his hips. _

"_Where oh where did my little princess go? I hope she didn't disappear"_

_Hikari giggled some more, thinking that she was doing a really good job at hiding. _

_Just then, she felt a pair of hands grab her and pulled her from her hiding spot. _

"_Got ya!" Xehanort cried._

_Hikari squealed and laughed as he started tickling her. He held her up and nuzzled his nose against hers, a gentle smile was on his face as he hugged her close. The one thing that Hikari would always remember about this day was how safe and warm she felt in her father's arms._

/

'Safe and warm' was the only thing that came to Hikari's mind as she stared at the flowers. It was hard to believe that once upon a time, Xehanort could be so playful and caring. She could still recall feeling safe in his arms as he held her.

'_Why did it have to change? Why couldn't life be as simple and innocent like back then?'_

When she heard a portal open, she didn't need to guess who stepped out. It seemed like every time she thought of Xemnas, he could magically appear.

She could feel him standing behind her on the hill.

"Such a peaceful looking place. Almost reminds me of the gardens back on Radiant Garden, wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps" Hikari said. "Or, much like this world, it never existed. It's just a dream that was made up in your head"

She looked over her shoulder to stare at him.

"Why are you still following me?"

"I thought I told you it's only natural for a parent to worry about their child"

Hikari got angry and spun on her heel to face him.

"And I already told you to stop pretending to be my dad" she snapped.

"I have a dad"

She could have sworn she saw his hand twitch, but she wasn't entirely certain. Xemnas had a dark grin plastered on his face as he thought of a certain man.

"At least I had the decency to be apart of your life and raise you" he said darkly.

"Can't really say the same for him though. In order to be a father, you need to be a part of your child's life"

Hikari grew angrier the more Xemnas spoke.

"That's not his fault! He was after-"

"An evil sorceress on another world" Xemnas finished.

"That's what your mother told you, yes?"

Hikari narrowed her eyes as she stepped back.

"How do you…"

"Know that? Because that's the story your mother told me. The story she _wanted _you to hear"

"Wanted me to hear?"

Xemnas tilted his head in thought.

"Come now, dear. Don't you find it a little odd that your mother never told you about him until just recently?"

When Hikari didn't say anything, she realized Xemnas had a point. Why didn't her mother talk about her father? Surely if she loved him like she said she did, then she would have talked about him. Yet…why did she suddenly feel so uncertain?

Xemnas went up to her and lifted her chin so she could look at him.

"Believe whatever you want but the fact of the matter is that I'm the only father figure you've ever had. That title belongs to me"

Hikari glared at him and swatted his hand away.

"You're not my father" she hissed.

"You're a manipulative asshole who toys with people's hearts and tricks them into making things for your way…just like what you've been doing with this exam"

Xemnas just smirked, not phased that he was caught.

"So, you caught on. You always were a clever little girl"

"You would never be part of my dreams, so that was a dead giveaway" she spat.

"I don't know what your plans were, but I will not be your puppet!"

Xemnas's smug look dropped a bit at that.

"You were never a puppet" he said.

Hikari scoffed at that.

"Oh really? Then what am I to you?"

Xemnas never said anything to that. That was all Hikari needed.

"Figures. You can't even come up with a good enough lie"

She went over to Lulu and jumped on her back.

"I'm going to find out what you're up to and when I do, you'll be sorry you ever tried to trick me again"

She flew off, leaving Xemnas alone on the hill.

Another portal opened as the Mysterious Figure stepped out.

"That went well" he said dryly.

"She's not as soft as she appears. However, with her knowing of our plans, she's surely going to mess them up"

He looked at Xemnas with a smug look.

"You've had your fun, but now it's my turn. We can't have her warning Sora or Riku, now can we?"

Xemnas just glared at the boy, remaining silent. The Mysterious Figure shrugged and went back to the portal.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt her…much"

He left Xemnas alone on the field where the older Nobody thought of various things.

/

Hikari quickly jumped out of the music sheet and returned to Yen Sid's study. She needed to get as far away from Xemnas as she could.

Rushing over to Mickey's sleeping form, she held out the sound idea.

"Mickey! I found the Sound Idea!"

"_Thank you, Hikari. I can tell you found us a sound idea. I guess we should try and put it to work"_

Hikari placed the sound idea on the corrupted music stand. The darkness surrounding it faded a little, but it still held on.

"That strange…is one sound idea not enough?"

"_Don't worry. Help will be here soon" _Mickey said.

No sooner had he said that, another sound idea appeared and merged with Hikari's. Much like in the Land of Musketeers, Hikari felt an all too familiar presence.

'_Riku…'_

"_Wow! The sounds are all joining together to make even more powerful music!" _Mickey cried.

To prove his point, the darkness covering the music stand vanished as the sound ideas played their songs. Hikari smiled as she heard its melody. The two tunes worked well with each other, bouncing off one another to create harmonious music. Much like how Hikari and Riku worked so well together.

"Together, we always fix things. Right Riku?"

She suddenly realized a sound idea was missing.

"Where's Sora's? His should be here too"

She couldn't ponder on that cause Mickey quickly got her attention.

"_Hurry! Now's your chance to fight that monster!_"

"Got it!"

Jumping on Lulu's back, she faced the music stand.

"Be back in a jiff"

She flew into the music sheet, ready to take care of the Nightmare that was ruining it.

/

Hikari was shocked yet relieved when she saw the Nightmare that was trapped within the music sheet. The trickster Spellican had somehow ended in this world when it escaped back in Traverse Town.

"That's the Nightmare from Traverse Town!"

Urging Lulu on, she flew after the Spellican to finally be rid of it. The Spellican noticed Hikari closing in on it and quickly flew off. The bird zipped between musical notes as Hikari aimed spell after spell at it. The darn thing made a rude gesture as it dodged one of her attacks and flew off.

Hikari growled as she tried to aim her keyblade at it.

"If I don't pin that thing down, it'll get away again"

Lulu let out a cry. Her body glowed as light chains sprang from her and shot out towards the Spellican. They wrapped around the bird, pinning it in place.

"Lulu, how did you do that?" Hikari asked.

"Well, whatever you did, it stopped that thing from getting away"

She jumped off Lulu's back and landed on the Spellican. Jamming her keyblade into the bird's head, she was finally rid of the troublesome Nightmare.

"I'm sure Joshua will be that I finally got rid of this thing for him. Now let's see how everything is on Mickey's end"

Getting back on Lulu's back, she flew out of the music sheet to see how her mouse friend was doing.

/

Mickey was wide awake when she returned to Yen Sid's study. It seemed that by defeating the Spellican, it freed him from his magic induced slumber.

"Thanks, Hikari! Don't know what I woulda done without ya!"

Hikari smiled and patted Mickey on the head.

"I'm always happy to help you out, Mickey"

Mickey grabbed a mop and bucket.

"Well, now that things are back to normal, I better get back to my chores. Don't want to get in trouble with my master"

He looked a Hikari with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"We'll see each other again, right?"

Hikari smiled softly and nodded.

"Of course, we will. Now get your chores done. You don't want to make Yen Sid angry"

With that, Mickey scurried out of the study to clean the tower.

Now that she was alone again, she let her smile drop and sighed.

"Now that I took care of the dream version of Yen Sid's tower, I gotta figure out how to get back to the real one"

She looked around the room, trying to find any clues.

"There's gotta be a connection between the two of them. Maybe if I find a weak point around here, it'll get me back"

She searched high and low in the room but came up with nothing.

"Maybe outside?"

She left the study and descended to the main floor of the tower.

"I gotta get back to the realm of light and warn Yen Sid. Something is not right with all this"

She headed outside to search some more and spotted something right away. Standing a little way from the entrance was the Mysterious Figure. Hikari's hand curled into a fist when she saw him. It was bad enough that she dealt with Xemnas earlier.

Having had enough with the Organization, she decided to avoid him and get away. This was one of the reasons why she needed to return, and she didn't have time to hear this creepy kid speak in riddles.

The Mysterious Figure didn't say or do anything as she started to walk towards him. When she passed him, his hand flew out and yanked the ribbon keeping her hair back. Hikari stumbled from being yanked. Touching the back of her head, she glared at the boy when she saw he had the ribbon Riku gave her.

"Give that back" she growled.

The Mysterious Figure ignored her and stared at the ribbon.

"They say a red ribbon acts as a bond between two people. Whoever holds each end is bound together, their lives forever entwined. For such a simple object, it holds massive power"

Hikari grew angrier when she saw him toying with it and lunged for him.

"I said give it back!"

The Mysterious Figure held up his arm to block her. As her hand touched him, she was suddenly bombarded with memories. Images of a young keyblade wielder flooded her mind. She saw the Mysterious Figure grow to become a keyblade master who would eventually turn into…

"You're…you're him" Hikari said shakily.

She pulled her hand away and stepped back.

"You're Master Xehanort"

Young Xehanort wore a shit eating grin as he pocketed Hikari's ribbon.

"Took you a while but you're much sharper than Sora. The fool doesn't even realize he's still in my trap"

Hikari felt her body go numb. She had wondered what was going on Sora's end of the exam. Unlike with Riku, she couldn't sense her best friend. Could this be the reason why?

"What did you do to him?"

Young Xehanort started walking around her like a predator stalking its prey.

"You think you've been taking this test Yen Sid set up for you, but you've really been part of mine" he said.

"As I said back on the Grid, you think these worlds are dreams, but they're not. Why would I be part of a dream when I'm not one? The truth is you've never really entered Yen Sid's test"

Hikari glared at him.

"So, I was right. I really wasn't dreaming"

Young Xehanort stopped his pacing and shrugged.

"Yes and No. At the beginning you were placed in the dream I set up for you so I could keep an eye on you. However…as this little test continued, you steered away from the path I laid out for you"

He glared at Lulu who was acting as a shield for Hikari.

"All thanks to that Dream Eater" he spat.

Lulu dug her hooves into the ground and made a noise. Hikari processed what Xehanort was saying to the clues she picked up during this exam.

"So…this whole time…you made us think we were taking our Mark of Mastery exam, but in reality, you were trapping us so you could destroy us?"

Young Xehanort gave off a bone chilling laugh.

"Destroy you? Oh no, I need you" he said.

"While you were taking your test, I had a test of my own. I wanted to see which of the three of you would fall deeper into slumber. You all showed promise, however only Sora appears to still be in a deep sleep"

Hikari felt her heart jump up into her throat. Sora was in danger and he didn't realize it. What made it worse was that neither she nor Riku knew how to get to him to save him.

Young Xehanort opened a portal and started walking towards it.

"Thanks to you and Riku, you've both shown me that Sora is the perfect candidate to be my little sacrificial lamb"

Hikari summoned her keyblade and lunged at him.

"I'll kill you before you lay your hands on him!"

If this creep thought she was going to let him harm Sora, then he was sadly mistaken. Young Xehanort summoned his own keyblade and blocked hers. He tilted his head in thought as he pressed into her weapon.

"You know, in order to be a Keyblade Master…you need to have a keyblade"

With a flick of his wrist, he shattered her keyblade to pieces. Hikari looked on in horror as she saw her most trusted weapon destroyed.

"What?!"

Young Xehanort dismissed his keyblade and grinned darkly.

"To think you've come this far with that joke of a weapon"

Hikari fell to her knees in shock. She couldn't take her eyes off her broken keyblade. Young Xehanort turned on his heel and headed for the portal.

"Your usefulness has come to an end. How do you expect to save others when you don't have a weapon to protect them with?"

He closed the portal behind, leaving Hikari alone in pain.

Hikari couldn't stop staring at her keyblade. Ever since she started this journey, she's always had it. It helped her get through tight situations. It was a part of her, much like she was a part of it. She very carefully picked up the shattered pieces in her trembling hands.

"After all this time…how could it end like this?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. She had gotten so far in this exam and now it came to a crashing halt. A Keyblade Master needed a keyblade. She couldn't save anyone without her trust weapon.

"This can't be happening! There are so many people counting on me…so many scared lives that are waiting to be saved…I let them down…I failed them"

She dropped the broken pieces of her keyblade to the ground and buried her face into her hands. The weight of the world suddenly crashed on her. She set out to save Lumen and her friends from their tragic fates. She promised that she would save them…to ease their pain. But now…now that promise was destroyed like her keyblade.

The reality of everything caused her to break down sobbing.

"Terra…Aqua…Ven…Lumen…Sora…Riku…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

She cried her heart out, knowing that Lumen would never be saved, that she and her loved ones were doomed to suffer.

Lulu slowly approached her master. The air around the Pegaslick seemed to grow thick as she lowered her head and nudged Hikari.

"_**You can't give up"**_ a voice echoed within the Dream Eater.

Hikari stopped her crying a tiny bit when she thought she heard her Dream Eater talking.

"Lulu?"

The Pegaslick nudged her head against Hikari's.

"_**You didn't fail them" **_her voice echoed.

"_**You never needed your keyblade to protect others. Everything you've done…all those lives you helped along your travels…that was all your doing. It was your heart that got you this far. You saved all those troubled souls simply because you kept them close to your heart. It's like what you told Xehanort, your heart is a safe haven that will protect those who need help. It's that power alone that will save your friends, not the keyblade"**_

Hikari recalled the promise she made when she was a little. Placing a hand over her heart, she could feel it beating strongly.

"My heart is a safe haven"

She closed her eyes as she felt the words sink in.

"That's right…I said I'd protect those who needed help…that I'd keep them safe when they felt scared and lonely"

She opened her eyes. Her tears were gone, only to be replaced with a look of determination.

"And right now, my friends need me now more than ever"

She got up to her feet and brushed herself off.

"I gotta save Sora. I don't know what Xehanort wants with him, but I know it's not good"

She looked at Lulu, knowing she was the only source of help she had now.

"Do you think you can track him down? If he's caught in a dram it should be easy for a Dream Eater to spot him"

Lulu nodded much to Hikari's relief.

"Perfect"

She looked at her keyblade one last time, picking up the handle part of it.

"I'm sorry I failed your exam, Yen Sid. But…right now I don't care about some stupid title. Once Sora's safe, I'll figure out how to retake it"

She jumped on Lulu's back and headed off towards her next mission.

"I'm coming Sora!"

/

Back in the enchanted meadow, Xemnas still stood on the flowered hill.

The conversation he had with Hikari still rang in his ears.

"_Just what am I to you?!"_

Xemnas closed his eyes. In a very rare moment, he dropped his hard guard, letting his face show emotion. All the events that had transpired up to this point finally seemed to have worn the older Nobody.

As the wind blew through his silver locks, he finally uttered what he intended to say to Hikari.

"You're my daughter…that's what you are to me"

Knowing there was nothing left on this world, he turned to leave. He needed to see what Young Xehanort was planning to do to Hikari. Much like Xigbar, there was something about the boy that put him on edge.

He stopped walking, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a very familiar flower. Approaching the flower bed, he knelt down and plucked a single Forget-Me-Not flower.

Taiyouko's voice echoed in his head as he recalled that memory from long, long ago.

"_Xehanort…do you love me?"_

His fingers curled around the flower.

"What do you think?"

/

**A/N: Holy cow that's a lot to unpack with this chapter.**

**Does Xemnas love Taiyouko? He did seem pretty weird in this chapter, perhaps something is going on that we don't know about?**

**And poor Hikari! How will she be able to save Sora without a keyblade? **

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**Take care!**


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